Boston Water and Sewer Commission: Data Integration to Support Asset Management

The Boston Water & Sewer Commission (BWSC or Commission) with the help of consultants CH2M developed a systematic and robust approach to asset management for BWSC’s wastewater and storm drainage system. BWSC is moving their infrastructure assessment and rehabilitation program from reactive to proactive responsiveness. BWSC has set a goal of completing (closed-circuit television) CCTV inspections for approximately 10% of its sanitary sewer system (90 miles) each year to establish a baseline condition of their system. To achieve this, BWSC’s inspection program was re-engineered. This included; 1. Implementing tools for automation, data analysis, and reporting 2. Implementing a risk-based approach to planning future inspections The re-engineered inspection program has allowed the Commission to meets its goals related to collecting, storing, and analyzing condition assessment data. SCREAM reports enable BWSC to document trends related to maintenance and condition of sanitary and storm drain system. The major findings of the program to date include; • Structural condition of most inspected pipes was better than anticipated. • The age of the pipe is not a good indicator of its structural condition. • Pre-cleaning surveys found that significant amounts of sediment had accumulated in many pipes. • The most frequently identify remedial measures for the inspected pipes are cleaning and maintenance rather than rehabilitation or replacement. As the Commission continues to progress through its system on an annual basis, the re-engineered inspection program and tools are expected to help the Commission focus future investments to provide the most benefit for the City of Boston.