Data-Powered Strategies: Enhancing Pipeline Management for Small Water Systems

The City of Lacombe, serving approximately 14,000 residents in Alberta, Canada, undertook a comprehensive risk assessment initiative to develop a long-term asset management plan for its water system. The City, in collaboration with Xylem, implemented innovative methodologies to gather and analyze available information regarding asset conditions, operational history, and failure rates through a robust risk assessment framework. One of the major outcomes of the project is a more practical knowledge of the system's true risk profile, enabling the development of long-term, actionable strategies that lay the foundation for a proactive asset management program. Additionally, new insights have been obtained to address data gaps and inconsistencies, and strategies for enhancing data management have been identified to ensure long-term success. These outcomes showcase how a quantitative risk-based approach can adapt to any data readiness level and lead to more efficient and effective asset management planning.