Asset Management
Program Components

Status

The State’s Asset Management Program is a developing one. On this page you will find initiatives and activities that support the program.

• DEP’s Asset Management Technical Guidance : In 2014, in response to the significant impact that Superstorm Sandy had on the State’s water infrastructure, the DEP released its Best Practices document on Asset Management. The Best Practices document served as the guide post for the Asset Management Technical Guidance. The DEP updated the 2014 Best Practices document to give more detail on the components of an asset management program. The purpose of the guidance is to assist owners and operators of both wastewater and drinking water systems in developing and improving their asset management program.
• CSO permit requirements: The individual Combined Sewer Overflow permits, effective July 1, 2015 require permittees to conduct aspects of Asset Management and develop a formal plan by July 1, 2016. The Department has developed an assessment guidance (checklist) to assist water utilities with developing and improving their Asset Management Plan.
• NJWB certification requirements: As part of loan agreements, both the Executive Officer of the water utility (borrower) and a licensed engineer must certify that there is an asset management plan in place (or under-development) for the funded project and closely associated components.
• Baseline Assessment: To begin to understand the extent and level of asset management work being done in the State by water utilities, the NJDEP and the NJWB, with the assistance of a water industry workgroup, surveyed both community public drinking water systems and permitted wastewater utilities (handling residential waste) in early 2016. The goal of this “baseline” survey was to identify the current state of asset management to help the NJDEP and NJWB determine the most effective long-term strategy to support asset management.The response rate from the baseline survey exceeded 75% from both drinking water and wastewater systems, and helped demonstrate which direction the industry is moving. These responses provide us with incredibly valuable information. A very good percentage of systems have done some inventorying of their assets, while more than half of systems have mapped their assets and performed criticality assessments of their assets.
  • New Jersey 2016 Baseline Survey Results : presents the findings visually as graphs.
  • New Jersey 2016 Baseline Survey Report : describes the purpose of the survey, the questions asked, the findings as charts, and briefly summarizes the findings.

In December 2015, the American Water Works Association published results of a similar survey with the intention to establish the level of progress of asset management amongst water utilities across the country. AWWA’s report, along with other resources, can be accessed from their website.

• Coordination with the water industry and utilities, and water associations:
  • Creation of a water Industry work group through collaboration with the following associations: American Water Works Association, NJ Chapter (AWWA-NJ), Association of Environmental Authorities of NJ (AEA), New Jersey Water Association (NJWA), and New Jersey Water Environment Association (NJWEA). The workgroup has been essential in:
    • Development of the survey
    • Advisement on best practices and developing technical guidance
  • Support, guidance, and assistance from the NJ Clean Water Council and the NJ Water Supply Advisory Council.
  • Collaboration on training and education/ outreach and professional development credits for AM training sessions.
• Education and Outreach:
  • In September 2016, the Assistant Commissioner of DEP’s Water Resources Management Program sent a letter to water system owners and operators announcing the resources made available through this website.
  • The Department in concert with academia and their respective professional organizations offer Asset Management Primer Training Courses for certification for the fiscal officers, mayors and key decision makers.
  • Staff have jointly (in coordination with the Southwest Environmental Finance Centers at the University of New Mexico) conducted AMP training seminars for predominantly smaller systems. The training utilizes established USEPA software/ resources, such as the Catch-Up Program for Small Systems (CUPSS) as a guide and tool to demonstrate how systems can effectively begin to better manage and maintain their systems.
  • The Department also works with EPA to conduct Asset Management Workshops in NJ for the utilities’ staff.