Negotiating and resolving a regulatory compliance order may seem daunting at first. When the discussions are guided toward solutions that accelerate risk reduction without unnecessary additional cost, these resolutions can become a win-win for both entities. Equally important is the need to monitor and focus capital, operations, and maintenance activities to assure compliance with these decrees. Through regular check-ins, an agency can adjust its activities real-time yet remain on schedule with critical mandates.
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Ross Valley Sanitary District, San Rafael, California
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The Ross Valley Sanitary District received a Cease and Desist Order from the Regional Board that mandated, among other requirements, the development of an Infrastructure Asset Management Plan. The Regional Board provided a short timeline for completion, yet expected a well-integrated plan that addressed repair and replacement needs as well as operational and maintenance enhancements. VWHA met this challenge and completed a comprehensive Infrastructure Asset Management Plan that met all of the Regional Board requirements and was completed on schedule.
The evaluation began with the develop of Level of Service objectives, followed by a combination of field and desktop evaluations for the system pump stations, pipelines, and force mains. Utilizing existing and newly-acquired field data, a computerized risk model was developed to allow the District to analyze, prioritize, and develop budgets and timelines for the necessary improvements. The risk model incorporated factors to represent Likelihood and Consequence of Failure, and assigned a unique risk score to every linear asset. The risk model results were used to prioritize projects in terms of their ability to reduce risk of overflow. This evaluation confirmed that the District's most problematic areas remained a high priority, and surprisingly, also identified that the repair of pipes within several neighborhoods that seemed to have intuitively high risk could be deferred to allow other projects to proceed.
In addition to addressing capital needs, the plan provided recommended updates to existing operations and maintenance procedures. For several years following development of the Program, VWHA met regularly with the District to assist in the implementation of the program. VWHA and the District General Manager were requested to make a presentation to the Region 2 Regional Water Quality Control Board Directors, during which the IAMP and ensuing efforts were received and commended as an exemplar effort.
The evaluation began with the develop of Level of Service objectives, followed by a combination of field and desktop evaluations for the system pump stations, pipelines, and force mains. Utilizing existing and newly-acquired field data, a computerized risk model was developed to allow the District to analyze, prioritize, and develop budgets and timelines for the necessary improvements. The risk model incorporated factors to represent Likelihood and Consequence of Failure, and assigned a unique risk score to every linear asset. The risk model results were used to prioritize projects in terms of their ability to reduce risk of overflow. This evaluation confirmed that the District's most problematic areas remained a high priority, and surprisingly, also identified that the repair of pipes within several neighborhoods that seemed to have intuitively high risk could be deferred to allow other projects to proceed.
In addition to addressing capital needs, the plan provided recommended updates to existing operations and maintenance procedures. For several years following development of the Program, VWHA met regularly with the District to assist in the implementation of the program. VWHA and the District General Manager were requested to make a presentation to the Region 2 Regional Water Quality Control Board Directors, during which the IAMP and ensuing efforts were received and commended as an exemplar effort.
