Asset management strategies have been generating interest in the water infrastructure sector for the last decade. A recent study from McGraw-Hill Construction (MHC) in collaboration with engineering consultant CH2M Hill, Denver, published in the "Water Infrastructure Asset Management SmartMarket Report," demonstrates that asset management practices have begun to take hold at water utilities, and more growth in those practices is expected in the next five years.

For wet-infrastructure contractors, this shift to using asset management will have implications for future business opportunities. Asset management helps determine the types of projects water utilities will pursue and their ability to fund these projects. Therefore, understanding what asset management is, the expected growth in its adoption and the way it influences investments can allow water contractors to chart their business course and determine the best future opportunities.

What Is Asset Management?

Asset management helps utilities deliver desired service levels to businesses and residents at the least cost. Utilities decide to invest in new and existing assets based on acceptable risk levels and a life cycle perspective, including environmental and social costs. These decisions are becoming more urgent for utilities. In the "2013 Report Card on Infrastructure" issued by the American Society of Civil Engineers, water and wastewater both earned a grade of D.

Also, in ASCE's 2012 report, "Failure to Act: The Impact of Current Infrastructure Investment on America's Economic Future," the association estimates that if funding levels don't change significantly, by 2020 only 33% of water and wastewater needs will be funded, the lowest percentage of any infrastructure sector. Given the ongoing fiscal austerity at the federal and state levels, additional funding—at least in the short term—appears unlikely.

In addition, factors like regional droughts, increased system resiliency, energy-sector demands and regional population growth are putting increasing demands on water utilities at the same time that many are experiencing financial cutbacks. Customer rate increases can help fund investments, but double-digit rate increases over an extended period are not sustainable.

所有这些因素导致了实效ities to consider asset management. The risk-based approach helps utilities eliminate unnecessary expenditures and make wiser investments in both new capacity and maintenance and operations. In fact, the new MHC report includes a case study in which the Greater Cincinnati Water Works says that a risk-based approach allowed it to re-examine its policy to replace 30 miles of pipe every year at a cost of $40 million. The savings from replacing pipes based on risk rather than a set annual rate allowed the utility to make other more critical investments. Applying these kinds of savings at utilities that practice asset management can create new projects and more opportunities for contractors.

Asset Management Adoption

MHC研究询问了新利luck451个公用事业，其中90％在美国和加拿大的10％ - 他们目前使用14个领先的资产管理实践。根据目前的使用，有65％的公用事业被认为是资产管理从业人员，因为他们使用了14种或以上的14个做法中的四个或更多实践，而其余的则被视为非授权者。同时，经过调查的公用事业中有18％使用10种或更多实践，这表明较小但相当大的百分比需要采用先进的整体方法来管理资产管理。

Larger utilities are at the vanguard of asset management adoption: 73% of the practitioners are from large utilities, those serving a population of 50,000 or more. Eighty-four percent of high-level practitioners using 10 or more asset management practices also serve populations of 50,000 or more. In addition, more than one-quarter of practitioners project their capital improvement spending over $50 million, while only 14% of non-practitioners expect spending at the same level.

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