Council backs DPW’s wastewater and stormwater asset-management plan to guide repairs and capital planning

The Bedford Town Council on May 21 voted 6-0 to support the Department of Public Works’ wastewater and stormwater asset-management plan (AMP), a data-driven effort to inventory assets, assess condition, and guide capital and maintenance decisions.

Brandon Bover of the Department of Public Works presented the AMP and acknowledged grant and technical support from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Sarah Ridyard, sustainability engineer with NH DES, opened the presentation and told the council the state’s grant program funds asset-management planning “to help communities make sound investments in their assets.”

Bover said the AMP focuses on five areas — level of service, inventory, condition and performance, risk and criticality, and life-cycle costing — and that the town’s GIS-based inventory is nearly complete. He described the plan’s maturity as “core to intermediate,” meaning Bedford has essential data and is building the integrated systems needed for longer-range capital planning. Bover summarized benefits the town can expect from the AMP: optimized use of tax dollars, more reliable infrastructure, improved emergency response and easier access to outside funding.

The council voted to “support the Department of Public Works and the continued implementation of the wastewater stormwater AMP, recognizing its role in improving operational efficiency, public safety, enhancing infrastructure planning, and enabling data driven decision making for long term system sustainability.” Councilor Michael Strand moved the motion and Councilor Kathleen Bemis seconded; the vote was unanimous (6-0).

Bover told the council that over the next two to five years staff will refine inspection tracking and work-history records, use risk and service goals to guide capital planning, increase transparency through performance reporting, and formalize workflows. He said immediate needs include a clear coordinator for asset data, staff training and continued enhancement of GIS and work-order systems; he added that the town may eventually adopt dedicated asset-management software.

Councilors said the plan will help prioritize projects that are often coordinated with other work such as paving or utility upgrades; Bover showed a GIS map that projects anticipated replacement years for wastewater collection segments to illustrate how the AMP will inform multi-year scheduling.