Michigan RAMPs up asset management: New infrastructure councils will build on lessons learned from recently completed regional asset management pilot (RAMP) program

In March 2016, Snyder created the 21st Century Infrastructure Commission to recommend how to enhance Michigan’s infrastructure systems and improve the quality of life for the state’s residents. In December 2016, the commission issued more than 100 recommendations, including a regional pilot program to assess current infrastructure data, determine data gaps, identify appropriate methods...

In early May, the 21st Century Infrastructure Commission issued a report summarizing the results of the RAMP program. Among its recommendations, the report calls for continued efforts to build a statewide culture of asset management. The report defines this culture as the “practice of identifying and managing infrastructure in a cost-effective and efficient manner based on continuous...

As part of the pilot, representatives from public and private utilities and state and local government agencies addressed issues concerning the collection of data to be maintained in the proposed statewide database. Identifying which data to collect proved challenging, said Erin Kuhn, executive director of the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC, Muskegon). This...

Ultimately, the RAMP program resulted in the collection of infrastructure data representing 158 communities, including data pertaining to more than 24,000 km (15,000 mi) of drinking water pipeline, 21,000 km (13,000 mi) of wastewater pipeline, and 9700 km (6000 mi) of stormwater infrastructure. According to Keith McCormack, vice president of the engineering firm Hubbell, Roth, and Clark Inc....

On July 2, Snyder signed HB 5335 creating the Michigan Infrastructure Council. Within 180 days of its creation, the council is required to publish a “3-year strategy for establishing a statewide integrated asset management system,” according to HB 5335. To be based on the findings of the 21st Century Infrastructure Commission and the RAMP program, the strategy must determine the...

Once they are up and running, the two new councils are expected to assist the state of Michigan in several ways, Empie said, particularly by affording a clearer perspective on the funding requirements needed to maintain and improve water infrastructure assets. “For the state of Michigan, a huge benefit is being able to articulate the need,” she said. For example, the robust data...

By providing a “holistic approach” to asset management in the state, the Michigan Infrastructure Council will facilitate an improved understanding of infrastructure in the state over time, said Jody Caldwell, asset manager director for the Great Lakes Water Authority. The authority is regional water and wastewater utility in southeast Michigan that participated in the RAMP program. An...

As a means of promoting coordination among asset owners, the Michigan Infrastructure Council will allow “public and private entities to submit project information for where they are working in the right-of-way,” Empie said. In this way, the entities will be able to “coordinate on projects, both short-term and long-term,” she said, resulting in savings for asset owners and...

Although water infrastructure planning is nothing new, Michigan’s increased focus on asset management represents a necessary “evolution of water planning,” Mangus said. Beginning in the 1970s, when federal grants became available for wastewater treatment infrastructure, communities tended to focus mainly on facilities planning to ensure that needed infrastructure kept pace with...