Asset Management and Tools

Communities throughout the United States are facing growing demands in managing stormwater. Municipalities must manage and build systems to provide flood protection and comply with municipal separate storm sewer system permits, and even develop watershed management plans to protect and restore habitat, develop green infrastructure, and supplement water supply through capture and use and/or recharge to groundwater. There is a large variety of stormwater assets that extend across the entire drainage system, including buried conveyance infrastructure, surface conveyance, and stormwater control measures. The US Environmental Protection Agency and Water Environment Research Foundation developed a 10-step integrated planning process that provides a solid framework for municipalities and utilities to manage their assets and optimize their investments. Adaptive management is a proactive approach where communities/agencies use system data to continually update their program. An important element of adaptive management is tracking the performance of stormwater assets over time.