A Toolbox for Effective Practices for Collection System Operation and Maintenance

The paper summarizes a Water Environment Research Foundation project entitled, “Effective Practices for Sanitary Sewer/Collection Systems Operation and Maintenance.” The project focused on identifying specific effective practices used by wastewater utilities today and developing an electronic toolkit for use by utilities. The web-enabled toolkit organizes and documents effective practices for the operation and maintenance, management, and capacity assurance of sanitary sewer collection systems. The toolkit was designed for use by utility managers, technicians, and operators. The toolkit should assist utilities in developing, enhancing, and implementing programs to improve their effectiveness and efficiency. This research will help utilities be competitive, reduce the risk of sanitary sewer overflows, and provide proper asset management.The project documents cost effective, practical, and implementable methods of collection system operation and maintenance. The information in the electronic toolkit was developed based on a comprehensive review of practices currently used by municipalities nationwide and through case studies of selected practices. The toolkit has a user-friendly structure and was delivered in a web-enabled format with search capabilities.