Introduction
Asset Management
Asset management is a framework that provides water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities with tools and practices that can assist a system in operating, maintaining, and managing assets in a cost-effective, sustainable fashion. Implementing an asset management program provides the information needed to make confident technical, managerial, and financial decisions while effectively engaging customers and generating cost savings over time.
The asset management framework in this guide is for water, wastewater, and stormwater systems of any size that seek to implement asset management practices. The framework contains all the basic elements of asset management. Systems with only gray assets or systems that have both green and gray assets can use this framework. System employees at all levels, regardless of experience with asset management, can use this framework, including operations and management personnel, elected officials, and board members.
Aeration and Clarification
Image: Unsplash
Integrating Green Assets
The Integrated Asset Management Framework, originally developed by the Southwest Environmental Finance Center in partnership with Spring Pointe Partners, integrates green assets into the existing gray asset management framework. This unified approach follows the five core components of traditional asset management:
Level of Service
Current State of the Assets
Criticality
Life Cycle Costing
Long-Term Funding
In this guide, green assets are defined as natural systems and engineered assets that replicate the functions of natural systems. It took many years for water, wastewater, and stormwater sectors to accept and recognize traditional asset management, but now that it is standard, green infrastructure can benefit from fitting into the same established format. Systems that already implement asset management do not need to start over. Green assets can simply be added to the existing framework. Implementing the integrated gray and green framework will help those systems with green assets better align with the approach and strategic objectives applied by many systems to their gray assets.
Vegetated Swale
Image: San Antonio River Authority
Using This Guide
The online format of this guide is meant to be interactive and allows you to navigate easily between chapters, sections, and subsections. The guide is separated into six chapters:
Each chapter has sections, and some sections may have subsections. You can use the Table of Contents list on the home page to navigate to various parts of the framework. While in chapters and sections, you can navigate to a previous section by clicking on the corresponding label in the index on the left side of the screen.
For example, on the top left of this page, you are in the Home/Introduction/Introduction section. You can click on any of the chapters or sections in the navigation to go back to the main chapter or other subsections, or you can go back to the home screen. Additionally, many sections feature links that will take you to specific parts of the guide.
A Bit of History
The information presented in this guide is based on the Asset Management approach originally developed by Australia and New Zealand, as contained in the International Infrastructure Management Manual, and follows a 5-core component model. The general asset management information is supplemented with green infrastructure information gathered from extensive research, conferences, discussions with water, wastewater, and stormwater system staff, and outcomes from two convenings hosted by the Southwest Environmental Finance Center (SW EFC), previously named the New Mexico Environmental Finance Center. The convenings had participants from around the country and from a variety of backgrounds, including state environment departments, local governments, utilities, universities, landscape architect firms, and consulting firms.
This guide is also based on an earlier asset management guide and training called A.M. Kan Work! An Asset Management and Energy Efficiency Manual, 2011, written by SW EFC. This guide was further developed by the Environmental Finance Center at Wichita State University as part of a project funded by KDHE
Ground Storage
Image: SW EFC