EPA Sponsors Working Session on Asset Management

The U.S. water andwastewater sectors have made dramatic progress over the last three years inadvancing the practice of asset management within the industry. U.S. EPA’sOffice of Wastewater Management recognizes there is a major need to exploreideas and seek common understandings about priorities and how to proceed on acommon asset management agenda.

To this end, the Office of WastewaterManagement envisioned, developed and convened a working session that broughttogether a broad cross-section of key stakeholders representing utilities,consultants, professional and industry associations, researchers and educatorswhose common interest is in the pursuit of excellence in water and wastewaterasset management. The Working Session, held May 5-6 at the Marriott Metro Centerin Washington, D.C., attracted approximately 140 professionals from the UnitedStates and 11 other countries.

This session served as an opportunity toexchange information about the state of the practice of asset management in theUnited States and around the world and to develop considered options forpathways forward in advancing the practice of asset management in the waterindustry.
Among the topics that were vetted at the session were the followingconcepts for collaborating and enhancing knowledge:

• A water-sectorbased national asset management steering committee (NAMS) as a forum fordefining best and appropriate practices and organizing a knowledge managementstrategy for those practices.
• A focus on getting institutes or trainingentities involved in upgrading instruction on asset management practices,processes, tools, techniques and related research activities critical tomainstreaming asset management.
• An exchange of views on roles andresponsibilities of various parties and a dialogue on how to bring about commonunderstandings and recognized focal points for growing knowledge andexpertise.

Individuals instrumental in the organization of the WorkingSession included Steve Allbee, (U.S. EPA), Doug Stewart (Orange County, Calif.),Paul Causey (Sanitary District No. 5, Tiburon, Calif.), John Griffin (City ofAtlanta), Scott Haskins (Seattle Public Utilities), Duncan Rose (GHD), RogerByrne (GHD), Brenton Marshall (GHD), Sherry Sato (GHD), Linda Blankenship (WERF)and Eileen O’Niell.