Public works outlines wastewater and stormwater asset‑management plan; council supports continued implementation

Director Jeff Foote and Brandon Bosiver of the Department of Public Works presented Bedford’s first formal wastewater and stormwater asset‑management plan to the Town Council on May 21. The plan is part of a grant‑funded project administered with technical support from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

Sarah Ridyard, sustainability engineer with the NH Department of Environmental Services, told the council DES helped fund the plan and participated at project milestones. “We administer a grant program that funds asset management … to help communities make sound investments in their wastewater and stormwater infrastructure,” Ridyard said.

Public Works staff described five focal areas in the plan: level of service, inventory, condition and performance, risk and criticality, and life‑cycle costing. They showed GIS maps that combine age, material and condition data to project replacement windows for collection‑system segments and explained how the maps help identify project groupings and coordinate work with paving and other utilities.

Foote said the town’s inventory is near complete, and that the town currently operates at a core‑to‑intermediate maturity level for asset management. He urged the council to support resources for a coordinator, staff training, and improved work‑order/GIS integration so the town can move toward best practices and better justify capital investments.

Councilor Strand moved that the council supports the Department of Public Works and the continued implementation of the wastewater and stormwater asset management program. Councilor Bemis seconded and the motion passed 6‑0.

Public Works said near‑term steps include improving inspection tracking, formalizing workflows, and increasing transparency through regular performance updates to the council.