The City of Newark needed a better way to manage its water and sewer assets. Although information on inventory was available through different resources, Newark needed to integrate its computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software with an updated GIS system to clearly define what improvements were needed and when; the city also required a better approach for long-term capital spending to support needed improvements.

A successful pilot project revealed the benefits of a structured asset management system. Our team updated the GBA Master Series CMMS with existing water and sewer GIS information to take advantage of existing information sources and then supplemented the knowledge base with rapid, cost-effective condition assessment technologies.

To prioritize capital improvement planning and operations and maintenance options, we used an updated “asset model” to predict the deterioration of water distribution and wastewater collection system pipes over time and help develop a 20-year capital improvement plan for funding renewal and replacement requirements.

The structured asset management system provides a new approaches to information management, maintenance management, and capital project planning, enabling Newark to maximize investments, effectively prioritize cleaning, inspection, repair, and replacement of areas of immediate concern, and optimize long-term capital spending.