'Mayors Water Council Winter 2008' by Unknown

Mayors Water Council

Newsletter of the Mayors Water Council of The United States Conference of Mayors

Winter 2008

nAtiOnAL CitY WAter SUrVeY 2007

the Status of Asset Management Programs in Public Water and

Sewer infrastructure in America's Major Cities

September 2007 Summary of Findings

Above Ground Water and Sewer Plants

Water Main breaks continue to plague cities

27 percent of cities are experiencing annual decreases in the

How Common are Asset Management Programs?

number of breaks

Nearly 40 percent of cities employ asset management pro-

· 35 percent of cities are experiencing an increased or

grams at their water and sewer treatment plants

unchanged number of annual breaks

Another 32 to 36 percent have at least a partial program

· 72 percent of cities experience up to 100 breaks per year

Roughly one-quarter of cities have none

· 21 percent of cities experience from 100 to 500 breaks per

60 percent of cities that have no current programs plan on

year

employing one in the future

· 7 percent of cities experience over 500 breaks per year

The repair and replacement cycle of water and sewer pipes

Are Cities Achieving Cost-Savings from These

is reported to be a "continuous" process that never ends.

Programs?

· The cycle for water pipes ranges from 3 years to greater than

Sewer Treatment Plants

300 years, with 56 percent of cities at 50 years or less

· 39 percent of cities with asset management programs report

· The cycle for sewer pipes ranges from 2 years to 1,200 years,

capital cost savings

with half the cities at 40 years or less.

· 32 percent report operations & maintenance savings

The cost to repair and replace water and sewer pipes is

· Roughly 60 percent of cities expect future savings in their

very high

drinking water treatment plants

· Nearly half of the cities report annual spending on water

· 17 percent of cities employing asset management programs

pipe repair and replacement ranging from $400,000 to $15

have not achieved, or expect to achieve cost savings from

million

employing asset management programs

· Nearly half of the cities report annual spending on sewer

Water Treatment Plants

pipe repair and replacement ranging from $450,000 to $30

· 21 percent of city drinking water treatment plants report capi-

million

tal cost savings

Policy, Training Opportunities and

· 22 percent report operations & maintenance savings

· 51 percent of cities expect future capital cost and operations

Education

& maintenance savings sewer treatment plants

· 16 percent of cities employing asset management programs

59 percent of cities oppose a Congressional mandate that

have not achieved, or expect to achieve cost savings from

would require implementing formal asset management pro-

employing asset management programs

grams as a condition of receiving federal financial assistance

Cities prefer face-to-face technical training from EPA on asset

Underground Water and Sewer Pipes

management over access to an internet information reposi-

tory

63 percent of cities indicate asset management programs

How Common are Asset Management Programs?

have helped them determine a rate structure that could lead

More than 70 percent of cities have implemented a full or

to self-sustaining systems

partial asset management program for their water and sewer

Half of the cities employing asset management programs

pipes

have not used information from those programs to educate

More than 90 percent of cities have conducted full or partial

customers about the cost for services

inventories and condition assessments of their water and sewer

44 percent of cities have used such information to educate

pipes

customers concerning the true cost of providing high quality

service levels