The Fast and the Functional: Accelerating Utility Projects with PM Augmentation

Public utility agencies face a growing challenge: delivering critical infrastructure improvements amid limited internal staffing capacity. While many utilities have access to capital funding, they often lack the internal bandwidth to manage multiple large-scale projects simultaneously. This paper presents a replicable model developed by Pinellas County Utilities (PCU), which leverages Project Management Augmentation Services (PM Aug) to integrate experienced engineering consultants into internal teams. These consultants bring deep technical expertise and scalable support to manage a diverse and expanding portfolio of Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects. Launched in 2022 with five initial projects, PCU's PM Aug program has grown to 37 projects valued at over $360 million. Today, 17 senior and junior project managers work alongside PCU staff to deliver projects across all phases-from planning through construction. These initiatives include:

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) conversion
Wastewater treatment plant and pump station upgrades
Water, wastewater, and reclaimed water pipe replacements and relocations •Infiltration and inflow (I&I) reduction and air release valve replacements
Transfer of private sewer systems to public ownership
Building upgrades and joint municipal coordination

The PM Aug model has enabled PCU to streamline project execution using both progressive design-build and traditional design-bid-build delivery methods. These strategies have helped the utility stay on schedule and within budget, despite increasing project complexity and staffing constraints. Notably, projects managed under the PM Aug model saw a 35% increase in CIP spending, a key indicator of accelerated delivery, along with reduced delays. Two of PCU's largest initiatives are being delivered under this model: the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Conversion Project and the Mobile Home Community (MHC) Wastewater Collection System Improvements Project. The AMI Conversion Project highlights the model's effectiveness in managing technical complexity. It involves replacing approximately 115,000 existing water meters and installing 14,500 new AMI meters for reclaimed water customers. The project's complexity, stemming from coordination across seven contractors and integration with PCU's billing platform, required a dedicated project lead. Through PM Aug, PCU assigned a senior project manager to serve as the central point of coordination among the integrator, meter supplier, installer, and internal stakeholders. This focused leadership enabled the project to maintain momentum, resolve issues quickly, and keep all parties aligned. As a result, the AMI project is currently tracking approximately nine months ahead of schedule. Another compelling example is the Mobile Home Community Wastewater Collection System Improvements Project, which addresses I&I issues by transitioning aging, privately owned wastewater systems in mobile home communities to modern, publicly managed infrastructure. These projects are fully grant-funded and involve:

Replacing and bringing private systems under public management
Designing and constructing new gravity sewer systems
Coordinating with multiple community associations and property owners
Minimizing disruption to residents during construction Given the sensitive nature of working within residential communities and the complexity of stakeholder coordination, PCU again leveraged PM Aug to assign a dedicated senior project manager. This individual served as liaison between PCU, design consultants, contractors, construction engineering and inspection teams, and community representatives. Key responsibilities included facilitating public outreach and community meetings, managing design, permitting, and easement acquisition, overseeing phased construction to minimize service interruptions, ensuring compliance with environmental and regulatory requirements, and managing grant funding and reporting. The PM Aug manager's focused oversight helped streamline communication, reduce resident concerns, and keep the project on track. As of September 2025, the project is 46% complete, with one MHC in the testing phase and another added to the program due to cost savings. The project is ahead of schedule and has received strong community support. This case underscores how PM Aug can be effectively applied not only to technically complex projects like AMI, but also to community-sensitive initiatives that require diplomacy, coordination, and sustained engagement. The paper will also provide practical guidance for utilities looking to adopt or scale PM Aug services, including structuring contracts for flexibility and accountability, selecting consultants who can integrate quickly and add value, onboarding strategies to align external PMs with internal systems and culture, performance tracking methods to measure impact on schedule, budget, and backlog, and lessons learned from rapid scaling, including communication protocols and knowledge transfer. Consultants will gain insights into how to position services to meet utility needs without overstepping internal roles, build trust and credibility within public agency teams, structure teams with both senior leadership and junior support, adapt to various delivery methods (design-build and design-bid-build), and demonstrate value through measurable outcomes like backlog reduction and cost control. Utility managers attending this session will walk away with actionable strategies to bolster internal capabilities without long-term staffing commitments, reduce project backlogs and accelerate infrastructure delivery, and improve project outcomes through targeted expertise and scalable support. By learning from PCU's successful implementation, attendees will gain a roadmap to launch or enhance their own PM Aug programs. This adaptable, scalable model offers a compelling solution for utilities navigating similar staffing and workload challenges.