Capital Maintenance Planning - A Common Framework for the UK Water Industry
Tynemarch, a leading consultancy in risk and asset management, has been awarded a major contract by UK Water Industry Research Ltd (UKWIR) to develop a Common Framework for Capital Maintenance Planning. Tynemarch will be assisted by S&W Consultants and SMC Ltd who will provide inputs regarding the economic and regulatory aspects of the project.
The project has widespread support from all sections of the UK water industry as well as Ofwat, the DWI, the EA and the DETR, all of whom will be members of the Steering Group. It is recognised that there is an opportunity to improve the approach to Capital Maintenance Planning in time for the next price review as proposed by the Environmental Audit Committee Seventh Report ‘Water Prices and the Environment’.
The overall objective is to improve the basis upon which Capital Maintenance requirements are estimated, taking into account the trade-offs between capital investment, operational expenditure and risk, whilst ensuring adequate levels of service are provided to customers and the environment, as required by the Ofwat document MD161, “Maintaining Serviceability to Customers”.
The objectives of the study are summarised below:
Define key concepts and outline good practice approaches to capital maintenance planning.
Formulate, test and recommend a common set of asset assessment criteria that will support good practice capital maintenance approaches.
Formulate test and recommend as improved set of serviceability indicators covering all asset types.
Identify techniques for forecasting likely future performance and serviceability reflecting both past trends and the impacts of relevant asset criteria.
Identify a strategic approach for assessing the economic level of maintenance activity for all asset types reflecting the optimum mix between capital maintenance and operating expenditure.
Define the scope for the economic appraisal required by the Ofwat document MD161.
For further information contact:
Dr Jeremy Lumbers
Tynemarch Systems Engineering Ltd,
Crossways House,
54 - 60 South Street, Dorking, Surrey RH4 2HQ.
