Commissioner's Column: Asset management is helping NH municipalities prioritize aging water infrastructure projects

With each day that passes, asset management is increasingly becoming the accepted and expected way of doing business within the water industry. New Hampshire continues to be on the right path with adopting this philosophy. Asset management is about delivering a specified level of service to customers at an optimal life cycle cost and an acceptable level of risk with a strategy that ensures long-term sustainability of public assets. Since the start of the NHDES water infrastructure asset management initiative in 2012, NHDES’ expectations have been surpassed as communities embrace the challenge of asset management. Many municipalities have already utilized the NHDES funding program to initiate and/or continue their asset management program development.

To recognize exemplary asset management programs (AMPs) within the state, NHDES established an Asset Management Award in 2019 to promote and encourage communities to implement AMPs. NHDES is pleased to announce the City of Dover and their Community Services Utilities Division Asset Management Team as the recipient of the 2021 NHDES Asset Management Award! On December 16, 2021, the award was presented at NHDES’ Annual Asset Management Workshop. Dover’s Community Services Utilities Division is also the recipient of this year’s New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) Asset Management Award!

Dover has worked hard to develop an AMP specific to Dover’s needs using its current software, VUEWorks. By consciously pulling institutional knowledge from personnel and turning that knowledge into usable information in their AMP, Dover continues to be a leader and a success story in the field. Dover representatives have participated in NHDES’ annual asset management workshop, as well as other opportunities, to freely share lessons learned with other communities. Overall, Dover is a great asset management success story, and well deserving for recognition of their hard work.