Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Asset Management Assessment and Strategic Implementation Plan

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (District) has determined that implementation of an asset management improvement program would allow the utility to improve its infrastructure management processes, institutionalize the system knowledge held by its aging workforce, and improve customer service while enhancing job satisfaction.The District owns and operates three wastewater treatment facilities and more than 200 miles of interceptor sewers supporting the City of Cleveland and 60 suburban communities. The District has assets with a value of approximately 1.9 billion and anticipates investing more than 4+ billion in the next 30 years for both combined sewer overflow (CSO) abatement and repair and replacement of all current and future assets. The District is also being challenged by its shifting demographics; since 1999, 18 percent of its staff with more then 20 years experience have retired, and approximately 25 percent are eligible to retire now. This presents a significant issue in terms of capturing the knowledge and understanding these staff have regarding the treatment plants and interceptor system.An assessment of the District's asset management needs and subsequent development of a strategic implementation plan was completed in three phases: first, performance of a gap analysis comparing the District's current practices with “best-in-class” asset management practices; second, application of asset management tools to an existing set of conditions to evaluate the benefits; and finally, formulation of an implementation strategy whereby District staff would engage in a series of well-defined asset management projects leading to the systematic assembly and deployment of a comprehensive asset management improvement program.