Water Utility

Installation of new water meters and planned or reactive exchange of existing meters (age-based replacement programs, failures, upsizing, AMI endpoint retrofits): scheduling, final/initial read capture, serialized meter and register/endpoint recording, AMI communication verification, and read handoff to CIS/billing.

Collection of meter reads via AMI head-end, drive-by AMR, or manual routes; validation of reads against consumption profiles; and management of exceptions (no-reads, tamper flags, continuous-flow/leak alerts, zero consumption) including dispatch of field investigation orders and endpoint remediation so billing runs on actual reads.

Periodic and complaint-driven testing of water meters for registration accuracy per AWWA M6 practice: test program definition by size class and age, bench and in-situ testing at low/intermediate/high flows, recording results against accuracy limits, repair/retire decisions, and fleet accuracy analytics supporting apparent-loss (non-revenue water) reduction.

Establish and maintain a complete register of distribution assets (mains, valves, hydrants, service connections, PRVs, meters) in the EAM system, synchronized with the utility GIS so that spatial features and maintainable objects stay aligned. GIS typically remains the system of record for location and connectivity while EAM holds the maintenance, cost, and work history view. EPA asset management guidance makes the asset inventory the foundational component of the asset management plan.

Run an active leakage control program per AWWA M36: complete the annual IWA/AWWA water audit to quantify real losses, prioritize areas (district metered areas, zone flow analysis, minimum night flow), execute acoustic leak detection surveys (correlators, loggers, listening), pinpoint and raise repair work, and manage pressure where beneficial. Finding leaks proactively - before they surface - reduces non-revenue water and main break escalation.

Systematic closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspection of gravity sewer mains with NASSCO PACP condition coding. Defects are graded 1-5, condition scores are recorded against linear sewer assets, and grade 4/5 defects trigger rehabilitation work orders, feeding risk-based renewal planning consistent with EPA CMOM program expectations.

Programmatic inspection of manholes using NASSCO MACP condition coding (Level 1 screening and Level 2 detailed inspections), identification of structural defects and inflow/infiltration sources, and generation of rehabilitation work (sealing, lining, frame/cover replacement) prioritized by condition.

Run the AWWA M36/IWA water audit cycle: compile the annual water balance, validate data and grade validity, quantify real and apparent losses (ILI), and execute loss-reduction interventions - leak detection surveys, pressure management, meter testing, and unauthorized-use investigation - as work on the distribution network.

Manage non-emergency corrective work on distribution assets from fault identification (inspection findings, customer reports via CIS/311, PM follow-ups, leak survey results) through prioritization, planning, scheduling, field execution, and closure with cause/remedy coding. Distinct from emergency main break response (A3.W07) by lead time and triage rules.

Respond to water main failures end-to-end: receive and confirm the break, trace and operate isolation valves, notify affected customers and authorities, excavate and repair under AWWA C651 hygienic procedures (clean/disinfect exposed pipe and fittings with 1% chlorine solution, control trench water), flush until clear with measurable chlorine residual, sample where required, restore service and surface, and capture failure data (cause, pipe material/age, photos) for condition and renewal analytics. Depressurization events may trigger regulatory notification and boil-water advisories.

Administration and field inspection of a FOG control program under the National Pretreatment Program: maintaining the food service establishment (FSE) inventory, permitting/registration, routine inspections of grease interceptors and traps, review of pumping/cleaning records (typically minimum every six months or as needed), enforcement escalation, and coordination with sewer cleaning hot spots.

Define and manage the recurring maintenance program for distribution appurtenances: isolation and control valves, fire hydrants, and pressure reducing valves. Industry practice (AWWA-aligned SOPs) sets cyclic frequencies such as annual critical-valve exercising, 3-5 year full valve cycles, annual hydrant inspection, and scheduled PRV servicing; the PM program converts these into calendar/route-based work generation with resource leveling.

Execute the recurring fire hydrant program: annual physical inspection and operation per AWWA M17-based policy (open slowly to full, close very slowly, check drainage, caps, threads, paint, clearance), plus periodic flow testing (static/residual pressure and flow) to verify fire-flow capacity and feed hydraulic model calibration. Out-of-service hydrants trigger fire department notification and corrective work.

Systematically locate, inspect, and exercise distribution and transmission valves so they can be found and operated when needed for isolation. Industry practice: exercise every distribution valve at least every 3-5 years with critical/zone valves annually, running a rolling program (20-25% of population per year); record turns-to-close, turning direction, and operating condition, and flag failed valves for repair.

Plan and execute a unidirectional flushing (UDF) program: divide the system into flushing zones and sequences, close valves and open hydrants in a designed order so one-way flow at scouring velocity (target 4-6 ft/s, up to 10 ft/s) removes sediment, biofilm, and tuberculation from mains, always working outward from a clean water source. Field results (velocity achieved, clarity/chlorine residual, water used) are recorded per sequence and fed to water quality and loss accounting.

Preventive hydraulic cleaning (jetting), rodding, and vacuum removal of debris, roots, and grease from gravity sewers on scheduled frequencies, with an accelerated hot-spot list for blockage-prone segments. A core CMOM O&M activity that reduces blockages and SSOs and feeds findings to CCTV and FOG programs.

Routine inspection and preventive maintenance of wastewater lift/pump stations - pumps, wet wells, controls, alarms, and standby power - to prevent failures that cause SSOs. EPA recommends frequent (e.g., weekly) station inspections plus periodic wet well cleaning; SCADA runtime and alarm data drive condition-based interventions.

Administer the utility cross-connection control program: maintain a register of backflow prevention assemblies at service connections, schedule recurring tests at state-required frequencies, record certified tester results, manage failed-device repair/retest, and enforce compliance up to service termination.

Assess the condition of distribution assets (desktop scoring from age/material/break history plus field techniques such as coupon sampling, CCTV for large mains, and inspection findings) and score criticality as likelihood-of-failure x consequence-of-failure, following EPA asset management practice where critical assets are those with high failure risk and major consequences. The resulting risk matrix drives maintenance strategy, inspection frequency, and the renewal candidate list.

Translate risk and condition intelligence into a funded multi-year renewal and replacement program: forecast remaining useful life and renewal needs by cohort, prioritize candidates from the risk register, bundle work into projects coordinated with paving/other-utility programs, evaluate repair-vs-replace economics, and maintain the capital improvement plan and its funding view. EPA asset management practice centers on planning maintenance/repair/replacement and funding it sustainably; IFS positions Asset Investment Planning for exactly this decision layer.

Aggregate monitoring results, violations, and corrective actions and submit required reports to the state primacy agency on the regulatory calendar; manage violation lifecycle including tiered public notification, produce the annual Consumer Confidence Report, and maintain an auditable submission repository.

Qualify and manage contractors performing surface restoration (pavement, concrete, landscaping) and overflow construction work after main repairs and service jobs: unit-price agreements, sub-contracted work dispatch, permit-window scheduling, quality inspection and punch-list rework, invoice matching, and performance scoring.

Manage distribution repair materials - pipe, fittings, valves, hydrants, meters, repair clamps - across central yard, satellite yards, and crew trucks: part standardization, min/max replenishment sized for emergency main breaks, mobile issue/return against work orders, and cycle counting.