How Changes to the Way the City Of Tuscaloosa Water and Sewer Department Managed Daily Operations Assisted In Implementation of a Successful CMOM Program

The City of Tuscaloosa Water and Sewer Department (TWSD) is responsible for operation and maintenance of over 500 miles of collection lines and force mains. In 2009 TWSD entered into a consent decree with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. The primary requirement of the consent decree resulted in the TWSD implementing a Capacity, Management, Operations and Maintenance (CMOM) program within it to help reduce dry weather Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) in the sewer collection system.Similar to other mid-size utilities, TWSD Wastewater Collection System division faced tough competition for limited funds to support operation and capital budgets. Therefore, early in the implementation process it was recognized by management that a business-like approach using asset management principles would be needed to successfully meet the goals of the TWSD’s CMOM program. It was determined that the key to this approach was going to be management engagement. Through dedicated and focused management engagement that used asset management principles, the collection division was able to make improved more efficient workflows and work priorities, and recognized performance trends of its assets. This engagement insured a more thorough evaluation of each dry weather SSO. The more thorough evaluation helped focus on the true root cause of each SSO and how to best address them.This paper presents the sequence of management actions, process changes, and enhancements that TWSD have implemented over the past several years that have had a direct and indirect effect and steady reduction trend on SSOs. The TWSD management decisions and process enhancements are presented so that other utilities may evaluate whether TWSD’s management decisions could also benefit their utility.