Real Asset Management at Work Boots on the Ground Making A Difference in Baltimore, MD

The City of Baltimore (City) operates approximately 3,800 miles of water, 1,400 of wastewater, and 1,150 miles of stormwater infrastructure. With an average age of about 80 years, the aging infrastructure is showing signs of deterioration in terms of water main line brakes, sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), and storm water flooding and sinkholes. The City entered into a Consent Decree with EPA and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for the collection system in September 2002. Furthermore, Baltimore is currently implementing an aggressive Water Infrastructure Renewal Program to replace the aging water distribution system.In 2012 the City implemented the Utility Asset Management Division within the Bureau of Water and Wastewater, and subsequently raised its status in 2014 to the Office of Asset Management (OAM) reporting directly to the Director of the Department of Public Works. The OAM is responsible for implementing preventive maintenance programs and asset management principles to maximize the life and capacity of the existing infrastructure, while minimizing system failures and achieving an acceptable level of service. The primary goal of the OAM is to move the City to a more proactive mode of operation and maintenance (Figure 1).Unlike other utilities that focus on the theories and principles of asset management, Baltimore’s approach emphasizes putting boots on the ground. The proper balance of asset management principles and implementing preventing maintenance programs and initiatives has yielded tangible results for the City.