Technical Asset Management for Water Utilities

Asset management for water utilities involves a structured application of tools and techniques to maintain performance and ensure reliability over the long term, requiring coordinated expertise across finance, operations, risk, and engineering. Neglecting proper asset management can lead to reduced system reliability, higher operational costs, regulatory compliance issues, and unplanned service disruptions.

The Technical Asset Management for Water Utilities course emphasizes the specialized skills and tangible tools asset managers need to thrive in today's complex environments. In addition to high-level strategy, we also focus on practical skills and real-world applications, providing hands-on experience in areas like risk analysis, lifecycle management, and condition assessment.

The agenda is organized into 10 modules with 15 applied exercises, offering participants opportunities to apply concepts through scenario-based activities and data-driven problem solving. Upon completion, the course will equip you with a suite of tools and techniques to make data-driven decisions and implement asset improvements. Walk away with actionable knowledge to optimize utility performance and enhance asset longevity.

• Explain what Asset Management is and the benefits it has to a Water and Wastewater organization
• Describe the differences between a policy, a strategy and a plan
• Appreciate the importance of a “Line of Sight” across the different level of an organization and across the different service areas
• List some of the global standards for asset management and describe how each of them can be useful
• Analyze risk events using an industry accepted methodology (e.g. water quality dechlorination events, breaches in operating certificate)
• Identify some of the barriers to the effective operationalization of asset management within an organization
• Describe the key protocols associated with operating and maintaining assets and how these can extend asset life (e.g. water treatment plants, reservoirs, pump stations, pipes)
• Explain how an asset hierarchy is typically developed and applied
• Review examples of how Asset Management helps with financial planning and decision making
• Describe a framework for good practice Capital Investment Planning using asset management principles