# Presentation: 040714

## An Overview of the WERF Condition Assessment Protocols Project

***Tony Urquhart******May 5, 2005***

## WERF Research Project

***Research Priorities for Successful Asset Management,***** March 2002**
**“*****Develop protocols for the assessing the condition and performance of water and wastewater infrastructure assets and develop predictive models for correlating asset condition and performance”***

**Notes:**
“Research Priorities for Successful Asset Management” March 2002 - WERF workshop identified 11 projects in order of priority
Highest priority project identified was to “develop protocols for the assessing the condition and performance of water and wastewater infrastructure assets and develop predictive models for correlating asset condition and performance”
Workshop concluded that there were no standardized guidelines for conducting condition assessments and a lack of protocols that could help utilities understand asset condition and performance

## Project Objectives

**Identify and document available tools and techniques**** **
**Provide guidance on incorporating into utility management philosophy**** **
**Water & wastewater treatment, collection, and distribution**

**Notes:**
Identify and document broad range of available tools and techniques
Provide practical guidance on how to incorporate these strategies into a utility's management philosophy
Scope of Assets
Water & wastewater treatment, collection and distribution

## Project Scope

**Research available tools **
**Identify practices from other industries**
**Identify best applicable practices**

**Phase 1**

**Phase 2**

**Develop a programmatic approach for condition and performance assessment (schedule, resource needs)**
**Provide case studies with positive cost justifications**
**Identify areas for future research**

**Notes:**
2-year timeframe
Phase 1
research available tools in water and wastewater industry
identify practices from other industries
identify best applicable practices
Phase 2
develop a programmatic approach for condition and performance assessment (schedule, resource needs)
provide case studies that provide positive cost justifications
identify areas for future research

## Core Project Participants

**Project****Sponsors**

**WERF Members**

**Team Members**

**WERF**
**EPA**
**AWWARF**

**TAG **
**CSIRO**
**E2 Consulting**

**City of Bellevue**
**Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District**
**Watercare (NZ)**
**Water Corporation of Western Australia**

## Becoming a Project Participant

**Typical examples are:**
**Commitment of expertise in condition assessment**
**Commitment to a defined quantity of research hours**
**Access to case studies and condition assessment data**
**Making a commitment to participate:**
**Commitment is in-kind**
**Written commitment defining hours, people and data is required**

## Benefits of Condition Assessment

**Understand remaining life **
**Forecast renewal/replacement**
**Assess probability of failure **
**Prioritize spending based on risk**
**Determine asset value **
**Comply with accounting standards **
**Produce degradation decay curves**

**Notes:**
Understanding asset condition and remaining life - proactive forecasting of renewal/replacement
Determine the probability of physical failure and therefore, ability to prioritize spending based on risk
Determine asset value and comply with accounting standards such as GASB 34
Development of a condition database to allow development of degradation decay curves for different materials based on different operational and installation conditions

## Condition Assessment Supports Risk-Based Approach