Wastewater & Onsite Systems | Collection Systems
Capacity, Management, Operation, and Maintenance (CMOM)
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Saratoga County Sewer District Number 1
The first utility to receive assessment was Saratoga County Sewer District Number 1, which was the largest utility evaluated. The District collects wastewater from roughly 150,000 people in a coverage area of approximately 250 square miles. The extensive collection system includes over 80 pump stations, 500 grinder pumps, 17 miles of interceptors, 120 miles of trunk sewers, and 180 miles of collector sewers. In addition, the District accepts flows from several municipal satellite communities.
Staff interviews were conducted in April 2006. The interviews covered the entire organization to ensure that every position and/or department associated with collection system management, operation, and maintenance was fairly represented. Over a dozen interviews were conducted with individuals or with groups of no more than four employees, all of whom were at the same level within the organization to avoid intimidation of senior staff.
Field observation of work practices were conducted in May 2006. Observations consisted of a ride-along with supervisors and field staff to various aspects of the District collection system to observe work practices and communication. This exercise allowed for additional interviews in a relaxed environment that encouraged honest and real communication.
The project team worked together to combine their findings from the document review, staff interviews, and field observations to develop a draft Business Practice Evaluation Report and accompanying Evaluation Worksheet. In this evaluation, twenty-six business practice categories--associated with collection system management, operation, and maintenance as well as environmental compliance--were analyzed.
Once the draft Business Practice Evaluation was completed, District staff had time to review the documents. In January 2007, the project team held a consensus workshop with management and supervisors from the District. Each of the twenty-six categories and associated subcategories were reviewed during the workshop. This was an important part of the process as the District had undergone several changes in key personnel and procedures since the staff interviews. The rankings presented in the draft evaluation were adjusted as the project team came to a consensus on the current performance levels across all of the business practices.
Once performance levels were set, the team reviewed each category again to establish the desired level of performance with respect to regulatory requirements, public expectations and level of service.
With the rankings complete, the gaps (or opportunities for improvement) were clearly defined in the evaluation worksheet. The project team then prioritized the gaps with ratings of 1 through 5, 1 being high priority and 5 being low priority. With the opportunities for improvement identified and prioritized, the District had the foundation for a business optimization plan that is compliant with regulatory requirements and makes good business sense. Once the consensus workshop was completed, a Recommendation and Action Matrix was developed. This matrix includes the priority ranking for each category, the associated findings, recommendations, and risks and consequences of inaction.
As a result of the evaluation process, the District determined its highest immediate priorities for improvement would be the operation and maintenance of its many pump stations and grinder pumps. Specifically, preventive maintenance procedures and day-to-day operations could be improved. The District also placed high importance on improving force main preventive maintenance and maintenance of right-of-ways.
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