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Council backs wastewater and stormwater asset-management plan funded by NH DES grant
Summary
The council unanimously supported a wastewater and stormwater asset-management plan created with a $60,000 grant from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services; staff said inventories, risk scoring and GIS-based replacement-timing maps will guide capital planning and improve grant competitiveness.
The Bedford Town Council voted 6-0 May 21 to support continued implementation of the town’s wastewater and stormwater Asset Management Program (AMP), a data-driven plan funded in part by a $60,000 grant from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES).
Brandon Bover (listed in the meeting as Brandon Bossaver/Bover), a Department of Public Works project lead, presented the AMP and said the grant paid for development of Bedford's first formal asset-management plan for wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. Sarah Ridyard, sustainability engineer for the NH DES wastewater engineering bureau, attended and described the DES program goals and grant oversight.
Bover said the plan focuses on five areas: level of service, inventory, condition and performance, risk and criticality, and life-cycle costing. He told the council that GIS-based inventories are nearly complete, staff are applying risk scores to prioritize maintenance, and a map showing anticipated replacement years for sewer pipe segments will help group projects, coordinate with paving, and reduce overall costs.
Bover summarized short-term goals for the next two to five years: improve inspection tracking and work history, apply risk and service goals to capital planning, increase transparency with performance updates, and formalize workflows; he said the town should invest in staff training, data coordination, and potentially dedicated asset-management software over time.
Councilor Michael Strand moved that the council “support the Department of Public Works and the continued implementation of the wastewater stormwater AMP,” and Councilor Catherine Bemis seconded; the motion passed unanimously. The council directed staff to continue the program and include AMP priorities in capital and budgeting discussions.
