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DeKalb planners outline 50-year water-main replacement strategy and 10-year CIP priorities
Summary
County staff presented a data-driven prioritization process for water and wastewater capital projects, emphasizing risk-based scoring for small-diameter pipe replacement and a 50-year plan targeting about 1,500 miles of pipe; the 2026 program aims to scale from 12 miles replaced in 2025 to about 27 miles this year.
County public-works staff and program partners briefed the committee on the capital improvement program (CIP) prioritization process and the strategy for replacing small-diameter water mains.
Shane, representing the program management team, explained the workflow that moves from needs identification and condition assessment to a multivariate scoring tool that informs a master budget and schedule. "We take the high-level information'break data, condition, risk'and feed a scoring tool so that projects can be prioritized objectively," he said.
Brad, one of the master-plan authors, described the small-diameter (12-inch and smaller) replacement strategy as risk-driven: consequence of failure multiplied by likelihood of failure produces a risk score, supplemented by operational data such as break-rate trends, hydraulic needs and road-paving coordination. Brad said industry guidance and the county's models indicate a long-term program targeting roughly 1% of the system per year: "If you have 3,000 miles of system, you would look to do 30 miles a year," staff told commissioners.
Staff presented takeaway numbers: roughly 1,500 miles targeted for replacement across a 50-year horizon and a 10-year rolling CIP that includes dozens of small-diameter projects. The presenters said last year the county replaced about 12 miles of small mains (approximately 62,400 feet), and this year the small-diameter program is planned to deliver about 27 miles with about $60 million of planned project value under current contracts.
Commissioners asked for district-level maps and clickable GIS details so they can see where projects appear in their neighborhoods. Staff said a public-facing CIP project site and district one-pagers are being prepared for better constituent communication and that the county will provide GIS maps and a projection schedule during follow-up.
What happens next: staff will bring district-level maps and a clearer schedule to commissioners, provide example prioritized projects from the scoring tool at a future PWI session, and continue integrating prioritized projects into the master budget and schedule.
