Resources

Tools

• DEP’s Asset Management Technical Guidance (pdf)
  The DEP updated its 2014 Asset Management Plan Guidance and Best Practices to give more detail on the components of an asset management program. The purpose of the guidance is to assist owners and operators of both wastewater and drinking water systems in developing and improving their asset management program.
  
  
• AM Plan Assessment Guide (pdf)
  To support the Combined Sewer Outfall (CSO) permittees who are required to have an Asset Management Plan within a year of the effective date of their permit, the Division of Water Quality has created an assessment guide in the form of a checklist.  The Assessment Guide is a tool to assist Systems with evaluating and improving the accuracy and completeness of their facility’s Asset Management Plan (AMP).  This checklist is also provided as an Appendix to DEP’s Asset Management Technical Guidance and can be used by both wastewater and drinking water systems to aid in their development or improvement of their AMP.
  
  
• Geographical Information System (GIS) Tutorial
  GIS is capable of assembling, storing, manipulating, and displaying geographically referenced information and is a valuable tool in acquiring and maintaining accurate locational data of a water system’s components, both above and belowground.  It is imperative that water system’s know exactly where belowground components are in order to assess their condition, determine the longevity/lifecycle of those assets, and replace when necessary to avoid lengthy downtimes and fulfill customer expectations/levels of service.  This website will provide information regarding Global GIS Tools, GIS Tutorials, Quickstart Setup guides, publications, and more.  
  
  
• Check-Up Program for Small Systems (CUPSS) Tutorial
  The CUPSS is a free and easy-to-use utility management software program developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide drinking water and clean water systems asset tracking capability, which is essential in any asset management plan.  This site provides the CUPSS background, software specifications, minimum system requirements for running CUPSS, and training resources, to include a free CUPSS download link.   
  
  
• Environmental Finance Center (EFC) Network Tools
  The EFCN provides a number of tools that are useful to instituting a utility asset management program, especially the financial planning associated with implementing asset management.  On this site you will find assessment tools, financial models, audit software, and databases for inventorying.
  
  
• Southwest EFC AM Components Training
  Formerly known as the New Mexico Environmental Finance Center, the Southwest EFC is the leading AM resource in the country, providing AM training material such as the A.M. Kan Work! interactive guide and the AM IQ, which assesses the user’s knowledge base of asset management practices.  This site provides a wealth of information that will familiarize utility managers and operators with AM components, planning structure, benefits of AM, EPA financing programs, and much more.
  
  
• Reference Guide for AM Tools, USEPA
  The EPA convened the EPA/State Management Workgoup in June 2012 and held 12 meetings from June 2012 – June 2013.  The workgroup included staff from various state drinking water programs, including the Capacity Development, Operator Certification and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs, and representatives from the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, EPA Regional Offices and EPA Headquarters.  The efforts and discussions of the workgroup are reflected in this guide.
  

Useful Links

• USEPA, Asset Management: A Best Practices Guide
  This guide discusses the meaning of AM, benefits associated with, best practices, and how to implement an AM plan.  A flow chart, illustrating the different components of AM planning, in addition to detailed steps (to include the five core questions framework as the starting point) related to individual components of AM, provide a thorough outline in the development and implementation of an AMP.
  

• Asset Management: A Guide for Water and Wastewater Systems
  A detailed guide from a pioneer of AM for water utilities, the New Mexico EFC (now known as the Southwest EFC), providing insightful information about AM.  Everything from AM components to a five-year financial plan to a governance structure for proper management and oversight are discussed in this document. 
  
  
• Southwest EFC, Kansas, AM KAN Work! An Asset Management and Energy Efficiency Manual
  Considered the best AM training material on the subject over the past decade, AM Kan Work! provides AM practices from New Zealand and Australia.  Faced with the same dilemma that systems worldwide have been facing for many years of an aging infrastructure, New Zealand and Australia set the standard in asset management, leading to the content of this guide that provides more detail in AM planning than any other. 
  
  
• Advanced Asset Management Training Workshops
  A site developed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison that provides information related to latter development practices and stages of AM plans, professional development and certificates, capital improvement plans, levels of service, and much more
  
  

News and Events

• AM-related events/news of interest (forthcoming)
• AM conference dates and locations (forthcoming)
• AM-related training events dates and locations (forthcoming)
  
  

Glossary of Commonly Used Terms

• Asset – Infrastructure, equipment, machinery, property, buildings, vehicles, and other components that have a distinct value to the organization.
• Asset Registry – A systematic record of assets and their attributes. The asset register provides information for strategic planning and operational management by asset custodian including physical condition details, financial details, asset performance and service delivery performance indicators and targets.
• Capital Improvement Program- is a short-range plan, usually four to ten years, which identifies capital projects and equipment purchases, provides a planning schedule and identifies options for financing the plan.
• Condition Assessment – A technical assessment of an asset based on a physical inspection, for the purpose of determining its condition and remaining useful life relative to a defined standard.
• Critical Asset – An asset whose failure would have significant consequences, either in the ability of the system to provide service to its customers, comply with regulatory requirements, or adversely affect the environment.
• Criticality – The qualitative determination of the significance of an asset based on its importance to the continued, effective operation of the system, as may be determined by its likelihood of failure and the consequence of failure.
• Disposal Costs – Certain activities are often necessary to dispose of a decommissioned asset. The costs associated with such asset disposal are recognized as part of the life cycle costs of the asset.
• Level of Service – The defined service quality for a particular asset or service, against which performance can be measured.
• Life Cycle Costing – The Life Cycle Costs of an asset is the total costs associated with an asset over the entire period it is owned; includes planning, design, construction, acquisition costs, total life time operational & maintenance costs, potential repair costs, possible rehabilitation costs, and disposal costs.
• Preventative Maintenance Program- a program to commit to maintenance that is regularly performed on a piece of equipment to lessen the likelihood of it failing. Preventative maintenance is performed while the equipment is still working, so that it does not break down unexpectedly.
• Remaining Useful Life – The difference between the asset’s actual age and the adjusted useful life. Estimate the adjusted useful life for each asset by considering the manufacturer’s recommendation, its current condition and service history.
• Useful Life – or Economic Life – the period from the acquisition of an asset to the time when the asset, while able to provide a service, ceases to be the lowest cost alternative to satisfy a particular level of service.
• Replacement Costs – the value of an asset as determined by the estimated cost of replacing it, includes all costs inclusive of material, equipment, construction, engineering planning, design etc. fees, administration and all other costs necessary for the replacement of the asset under typical conditions.