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New York, NY 10018

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Jefferson County Collection System Asset Management Program

Jefferson County selected Hazen to develop and implement a Collection System Asset Management Program to help prioritize and strategically target where to best spend significantly reduced O&M budgets, capital improvements budgets, and depleted manpower resources.

Hazen utilized a Sewer Line Rapid Assessment Tool to conduct asset inspections.

Jefferson County Environmental Services Department (JCESD) in Birmingham, Alabama serves a population of approximately 478,000 people. JCESD owns and operates approximately 3,137 miles of sanitary sewer lines, 174 pump stations, and 81,000 manholes as part of its collection system. Hazen established and is working with JCESD to refine a comprehensive asset management program with processes and procedures to identify and prioritize future collection system evaluation, rehabilitation, and replacement projects. As of the end of 2017, 24 asset management projects have been completed or are under construction.

Hazen developed a risk analysis tool (U-Hound) for integrating data from County’s GIS, CMMS (CityWorks), SCADA, flow monitoring data, condition assessment data (CCTV) to create various scenarios for consequence of failure (CoF) and probability of failure (PoF) and performing risk analysis to determine most critical assets for R/R.

The risk analysis module provides a step-wise approach which is easy to implement. Multiple scenarios may be run and evaluated in a relatively short period of time (example: a risk analysis run on over 80000 pipes can be performed under one minute).

The flow data tool enables the county to efficiently review and analyze its flow data so that areas with excessive I/I can be identified quickly.

Stephen H. King, PE, BCEE
A RedZone Solo robot being deployed.
As part of the project, a multi-sensor inspection (MSI) unit was used to inspect large diameter pipe.

Project Outcomes and Benefits

  • Developed and refined a system of tools including a risk analysis tool and a flow data management tool.
  • Implemented Sharepoint-based project management and custom infiltration and inflow data analysis software.
  • Conducted full-scale pilot testing of asset management system.
  • Developed an asset management-based three-year CIP, including directing condition assessment activities, scoping and procurement of engineering services, and schedule delivery.
  • Developed multiple standard O&M procedures & training for County staff to fully implement the asset management system.
  • Reduced SSOs and resulted in the repair/replacement of 20.5 miles of sewer and rehabilitation of 34.2 miles of sewer.
  • Sewer Asset Management and CMOM programs were developed in coordination with the USEPA Region 4 and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). Program benefits included improved documentation, enhanced communications, and more effective operations and streamlined maintenance.