Pipe management wins recognition for SEW

Commonly referred to as PAS 55, the British Standard is produced by the Institute of Asset Management, and recognised as a benchmark for how physical assets and infrastructure are best managed.

SEW operates across a large area of the South-east – stretching from parts of Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey across to Sussex and Kent – and supplies 565Ml of water a day on average to 2.1 million customers.

Jerry Cooper, head of Asset Management at South East Water, is responsible for ensuring the 93 water treatment works and 14,500km of water mains are in the best condition. He said: “Successfully achieving PAS 55 certification required first developing an asset management strategy setting out our future plans and objectives.

“Using this as the starting point, we then developed special online tools which

help us manage all of the company’s asset-related activities.”

The tools, including technical standards for assets as well as documentation detailing asset management roles and responsibilities, were then integrated to create a business-wide asset management system. To ensure the system is fully accessible throughout SEW, the new system is intranet based.

Also key to PAS 55 certification was the implementation of a communications plan that demonstrated the ways in which different roles within the business contribute to the efficient management of SEW’s assets.

The company worked with consultant partner Black & Veatch throughout the creation and implementation of its new asset management system, and PAS 55 certification process.

Cooper added: “We are delighted that the hard work of our staff and consultant partner, Black & Veatch, which gave us invaluable support, has been recognised.

“This achievement clearly demonstrates that we are committed to working as efficiently as possible, and that our customers can rely on us to invest wisely in their water supply so it continues to be safe and secure.”