Most municipalities likely have some form of operations and maintenance (O&M) program already in place. A formal maintenance program can be reconfigured or developed to be more comprehensive and proactive so that it aligns with an Asset Management Plan (AMP). This maintenance program should include the following components:

• Asset Maintenance Activity and Frequency: Maintenance tasks and maintenance frequencies for optimal performance should be specified because they dictate staffing needs and program costs
• Staff: Staffing size and skill sets—for both maintenance and administration required—to perform the work should be considered when developing a maintenance program
• Equipment and Materials: When developing the protocols for maintenance activities, municipalities should include any necessary equipment and resources required to perform maintenance
• Costs: With the pieces of the maintenance program more clearly defined, long-term maintenance program costs must be considered. The costs for maintenance programs depend on several factors including the maintenance entity model used, maintenance program experience, and Level of Service (LOS), among others.

Continually Develop and Refine

To ensure that municipalities’ assets and operations continue to provide their desired LOS, AMPs should be regularly evaluated and further developed.
Updates to regulations, access to more data, improved data analysis techniques, and updates to fiscal forecasting methods further inform a utility’s AMP.

Evaluating and further developing an AMP is an iterative, multi-faceted process that can help to ensure that a utility is adequately implementing the various components of the AMP while meeting both LOS goals and regulatory requirements.

Additional Resources:

• Georgetown Climate Center Green Infrastructure Toolkit
• Philadelphia’s Green Stormwater Infrastructure Maintenance Manual
• USEPA’s The Importance of Operation and Maintenance for the Long-Term Success of Green Infrastructure