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budgets for a program of capacity, management, operations, and maintenance (CMOM); replacement; and expansion. New Castle County owns and operates wastewater collection and conveyance facilities comprising about 1,600 miles of gravity sewer and interceptors, 40,000 manholes, and more than 150 pump stations. This also includes the Brandywine Hundred Sewer System, encompassing four sewersheds with more than 420 miles of the oldest and most problematic sewers, located in some of the county's most densely populated areas. The system includes a number of structured sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) that combine untreated sewage with stormwater for discharge in the Delaware River and tributaries. The Brandywine Hundred Sewer System Rehabilitation and Capacity Assurance Program aimed to: • reduce groundwater and rainwater entry from I/I into the collection system to achieve a significant wateronline.com n Water Innovations 29 ASSETMANAGEMENT Recommendations for a successful asset management program Greatest challenge utilities face when executing this recommendation Tips for overcoming this challenge Truly understand and communicate the goals of the asset management program, ensure strong leadership, and engage stakeholders to win support. Establishing concise goals that are tied to your overall strategic objectives and will resonate with your internal and external stakeholders. Network with other utilities that have comprehensive, long-term asset management programs to gain perspective and lessons learned that can increase your chances of implementing a program that is successful and delivers sustainable outcomes. Recognize the organizational implications of an asset management program to ensure long-term success. Identifying the necessary roles and responsibilities that touch all levels of asset management within your utility (i.e., IT, engineering, operations and maintenance, and finance) and understanding that it may require implementing a change in management strategy. Perform an organizational assessment specific to asset management implementation to gain a thorough understanding of your workforce and their roles, responsibilities, capabilities, and expertise. Map where each person brings value to the program and where there may be talent gaps that inhibit long-term program success. Network with other utilities regarding their asset management staffing and change management strategies to learn how they set up their programs for success and why they did so, and what's working and what's not, to help accelerate the implementation of your program. Implement a framework that integrates all asset-related functions, activities, and financials to achieve true ownership across all levels of the organization. Deciding how to begin and which framework to adopt and roll out to the organization. Adopt industry standards and utilize proven gap analysis tools (e.g., ISO 55000 or the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation's Strategic Asset Management Research Area) to define the elements of your framework and learn where you stand today. Stay up to date on the most innovative, research-based asset management trends, strategies, and applications by participating in training and continuing education opportunities that will give you the perspective, knowledge, and tools to implement and manage your program with clarity and confidence. Strike the right balance between financial performance, risk management, and operational performance. Defining effective service levels and key performance measures to target capital and maintenance decisions. Leverage existing performance measures, such as those published in AWWA's "Benchmarking Performance Indicators for Water and Wastewater Utilities: 2013 Survey Data and Analyses Report," to develop measurements that deliver financial returns, manage risk, and enhance operational performance. Leverage IT to enable organizational change, optimize business processes, and support informed decision making. Determining where to start, what products to use, and how to effectively tie existing systems together. Conduct a review of your existing systems relative to asset management best practices. Five Recommendations For Successful Asset Management