2022 Asset Management Award: NHDES Recognizes the Plymouth Village Water and Sewer District

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) recently presented the 2022 Asset Management Awards, established to promote, and encourage communities to develop and implement Asset Management Programs (AMPs) to the Plymouth Village Water and Sewer District (PVWSD). AMPs are a holistic approach to managing total infrastructure systems over the life cycle of assets in the most cost-effective way.

NHDES believes that by providing assistance to communities for the development and implementation of AMPs, New Hampshire residents will benefit from more reliable and sustainable water, wastewater and stormwater systems throughout the state.

Since the start of the NHDES asset management initiative in 2012, NHDES’ expectations have been surpassed as communities have embraced the challenge of asset management. With each day that passes, asset management is increasingly becoming the accepted and expected way of doing business within the water industry and New Hampshire is certainly on the right path with adopting this philosophy.

In 2019, the NHDES Asset Management Award was established by the NHDES Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau (DWGB), Wastewater Engineering Bureau (WWEB) and Watershed Management Bureau (WMB). The award recognizes exemplary AMPs within the State. Solicitation of nominees provided exceptional candidates. This year’s award to PVWSD highlights not only AMP implementation but also continued expansion of its program and creating a cultural shift along the way. PVWSD staff also serve as mentors for other utilities.

NHDES recognizes PVWSD for this award in acknowledgement of the work related to development of their AMP and in their willingness to communicate the value of that AMP to the public. PVWSD has embraced the idea and the concepts of turning data into dollars by using its resources and most importantly, its AMP. PVWSD operates a sustainable and resilient water and wastewater utility at a level of service that is acceptable to PVWSD customers by leveraging the most effective asset management techniques and resources available. PVWSD has adopted a road map allowing them to maximize the life expectancy of their assets but also one that identifies a short- and long-term funding strategy to ensure that assets are continuously providing the level of service expected by the stakeholders.

As NHDES continues with the journey of promoting asset management throughout the State of New Hampshire, exemplary work like that of the PVWSD will propel NHDES’ vision into reality. NHDES urges communities throughout New Hampshire to continue their asset management work or to contact us to find out how to get started. Perhaps you or your community will be presented with the next NHDES Asset Management Award.

For more information about Asset Management and funding opportunities, please visit our Asset Management webpage or email Luis.adorno@des.nh.gov for drinking water, Sharon.Nall@des.nh.gov or eliza.j.styczynski@des.nh.gov for wastewater, or Deborah.Loiselle@des.nh.gov for stormwater.