Operation and Maintenance Cost Tracking Protocols for Stormwater BMPs: Development of a National Cost Database

In 2015, the Municipal Water Infrastructure Council (MWIC) of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers recognized a national need for better lifecycle cost data for stormwater control measures, particularly for operation and maintenance of green infrastructure practices. In response to this need, MWIC committee members worked together to develop operation and maintenance (O&M) cost tracking protocols for stormwater best management practices (BMPs) and develop an initial national cost database in collaboration with the Water Research Foundation as a companion to the International Stormwater BMP Database. These protocols include recommended O&M activity and cost parameters to track for stormwater BMPs. These parameters form the basis of data entry spreadsheets and a database that can be used to store collected data. The long-term project objective is to improve the basis for recommended BMP maintenance activities and frequencies as well as whole lifecycle cost estimation.