Starting the Journey: Implementing Asset Management as a Key Strategy to Improve O&M Efficiency and Extend Asset Life at Blue Plains AWTP

As the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) has a reported asset inventory value of $2.6 billion with a plan to invest a further $3.8 billion over the next 10 years, it was considered to be the optimum time to review current asset management related procedures at Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (AWTP). This would determine if there were efficiencies that could be made to extend asset lifecycles, improve current levels of service, and better coordinate management efforts. Like any long journey, asset management begins with the first mile, but with a destination clearly in mind the journey can only be made with aroadmap. To help define the asset management destination and road map, an evaluation was conducted covering all aspects of the AWTP operation from planning to construction and from O&M to procurement. The focus of this evaluation was to determine what was working well, and where improvements could be made. It was also important to begin a communication process to ensure that all levels of the organization understood what asset management is and the level of involvement that would be required in all functional areas of DC Water if greater implementation is required.