Water / Wastewater Master Planning / Modeling
In today’s challenging business landscape, utilities face the task of maintaining infrastructure, extending asset life, and securing a safe and reliable water supply. They are expected to achieve more with fewer resources, while meeting increasingly stringent regulations and addressing stakeholder and customer needs.
At Kimley-Horn, we excel in the dynamic process of master planning, which serves as an infrastructure roadmap and sets your organization on a path of continuous improvement. Our approach is rooted in our commitment to:
- Understanding the vital role infrastructure plays in your organization’s long-term vision by actively listening to your needs and goals.
- Developing a data-driven baseline of your existing assets.
- Optimize system capacity solutions by capitalizing on operational knowledge of your system.
- Utilizing our suite of tools and technology to identify proactive and feasible solutions for your infrastructure vision.
Condition Assessment
Understanding the condition of existing assets is fundamental when developing a comprehensive master plan. At Kimley-Horn, we use engineering expertise and data-based decision-making to evaluate existing conditions, estimate remaining useful life, quantify risk, and identify feasible replacement and rehabilitation alternatives along with estimated construction costs.
System Modeling
Utilizing an extensive in-house library of software and talent, Kimley-Horn’s modeling experts provide solutions in water, wastewater, and reclaimed water. With the support of our GIS and field services capabilities, our team bridges that gap between the models and the real world, providing decision-making information to planners, engineers, and operators at all levels.
Our comprehensive approach includes data visualization, system mapping, field testing, and cost analysis, culminating in a clear plan of action which clearly identifies the constraint and evaluates the impacts and costs. We approach system modeling by considering:
- Real-time data processing and analysis
- Predictive analytics to simulate hotspots and trigger alerts
- Insightful results by contextualizing data
- Data visualization with intuitive user interfaces
- Data storytelling with familiar user experiences
Asset Management
Risk-based decision-making allows utilities to better prioritize needs, efficiently allocate capital dollars, and extend the useful life of assets. Effective asset management practices enable utilities to generate fiscally responsible capital plans to better serve their customers. Poor asset management can result in inefficient capital plans, resulting in redundant work, unnecessary repairs or replacements, and the potential oversight of critical issues. At Kimley-Horn, we collaborate with our clients, making risk-based decisions that balance fiscal responsibility with customer satisfaction. Our approach includes:
- Strategy development
- Maturity assessments
- Infrastructure planning based on condition assessments
- Risk assessments
- Decision support tools and business intelligence applications
- Business case evaluation scoring
- Customer and asset management and monitoring
- Machine learning/predictive analytics
We work with our clients to deliver planning studies, leveraging the power of digital solutions to provide informed, transparent, and scalable solutions. We understand that digital transformation requires a customized approach, combining expert knowledge, experience, and understanding of the utility’s unique characteristics. Our experts build digital twin models that use reliable data, simulate baseline normal operations, and compare real-time monitoring with baseline inputs.
Capital Programming and Budgeting
To ensure an effective Capital Improvement Program (CIP), it is crucial to plan for both short- and long-term goals. The processes described above support a flexible, transparent, and defensible capital plan. The final project deliverables provide realistic and accurate budgets for capital improvements. Our CIPs are designed in conjunction with your financing goals, resulting in an executable document that remains relevant from day one and well into the future.