Water Utility Asset Management: A Guide for Development Practitioners

Description

Experiences of ADB in the water supply sector show the consequences of inadequate asset management, such as lack of customer coverage and high nonrevenue water ratios. One response is lending to allow for new infrastructure. Some immediate benefits may be evident, but sustainability is at risk unless better asset management is part of the solution. This guide provides ADB’s perspective on asset management, as well as an overview of the concept, processes, and systems of asset management, followed by a presentation of case studies about what utilities have done to manage their assets, including the results achieved. This guide focuses on medium-sized and large operators. It discusses techniques that apply to situations where asset types and conditions vary widely and in-house engineering and financial skills exist. This guide aims to provide a brief overview of the concept, processes, and systems of asset management, including self-diagnosis to help utility managers and project designers identify change priorities (Chapter I); case studies about what utilities have done to manage their assets, including the results they achieved or did not achieve (Chapter II); and extra project-relevant information to ADB staff about existing asset management projects, a sample design and monitoring framework, draft terms of reference for consultants, and a one-page handout to inform clients about asset management (Chapter III).