Description: Small water systems face growing challenges, from aging infrastructure, limited staffing, shrinking budgets, and increasing regulatory pressures. Ensuring reliable, safe drinking water requires strategic investment in both traditional “gray” infrastructure (wells, pumps, storage tanks, and pipes) and the natural systems that help protect source water.

This workshop introduces operators and decision-makers to the fundamentals of green asset management, a proactive planning approach that incorporates natural assets, such as forests, wetlands, and recharge areas, into the overall management of drinking water systems. Participants will learn how to build a complete asset inventory, assess criticality and service levels, and integrate life cycle costing and long-term funding strategies. The training will also highlight Wisconsin-specific regulations and funding opportunities.

Learning Objectives:

• Five core components of asset management and how they apply to drinking water systems.
• Identify both gray and green assets within their systems and document key characteristics in an asset inventory.
• Prioritize infrastructure needs using level of service goals and criticality assessments.
• Connect life cycle costing and long-term funding strategies to Wisconsin-specific financing and funding opportunities.

Presenters: Jennifer Egan, Environmental Economics & Conservation Finance Program Manager and Danish Kumar, Climate Change Program Manager, University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center

CEUs: This training has been submitted for pre-approval of continuing education credits though we cannot guarantee it. Regardless, we will provide attendees with a Certificate of Attendance for their personal record. 

Who Should Attend: