Abstract
Abstract Analytical tools used in infrastructure asset management of urban water pipe networks are reliant on asset data. Traditionally, data required by analytical tools has not been collected by most water utilities because it has not been needed. The data that is collected might be characterised by low availability, integrity and consistency. A process is required to support water utilities in assessing the accuracy and completeness of their current data management approach and defining improvement pathways in relation to their objectives. This study proposes a framework to enable increased data-driven asset management in pipe networks. The theoretical basis of the framework was a literature review of data management for pipe network asset management and its link to the coherence of set objectives. A survey to identify the current state of data management practice and challenges of asset management implementation in five Swedish water utilities and three focus group workshops with the same utilities was carried out. The main findings of this research were that the quality of pipe network datasets and lack of interoperability between asset management tools are drivers for creating data silos between asset management levels, which may hinder the implementation of data-driven asset management. Furthermore, these findings formed the basis for the proposed conceptual framework. The suggested framework aims to support the selection, development and adoption of improvement pathways to enable increased data-driven asset management in municipal pipe networks. Results from a preliminary application of the proposed framework are also presented.
Highlights
Asset management (AM) of urban water systems is described as a set of processes that water utilities undertake to ensure that the service levels of assets, such as pipe networks, are maintained as economically as possible over a whole life cycle perspective (Alegre & Coelho 2012)
This paper describes ongoing work to enable the development and selection of routines that increase data-driven integrated AM approach (IAM) for urban water pipe networks
Specific conclusions from the study include: 1. The literature review showed that data quality (DQ) and interoperability of IAM tools are influential factors for data-driven IAM
Summary
Asset management (AM) of urban water systems is described as a set of processes that water utilities undertake to ensure that the service levels of assets, such as pipe networks, are maintained as economically as possible over a whole life cycle perspective (Alegre & Coelho 2012). Drivers, such as urbanisation, ageing infrastructure and climate change, are some of the most important reasons for adopting AM (Ugarelli et al 2010). An IAM approach for network infrastructures, such as pipe networks, advocates addressing AM at different planning levels and requires the alignment of strategic objectives and chain management between levels (Alegre & Coelho 2012). Alegre et al (2013) highlighted the need for a review mechanism to measure compliance with set goals and the importance of the alignment and coherence of strategic objectives between strategic, tactical and operational levels, which is often missing in spite of being a requirement in municipal AM implementation
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