Implementing “Best” Work Practices, CWMS and GIS

Winnipeg is a Midwestern Canadian city with a population of approximately 650,000. The City’s Water and Waste Department operates as a Public Utility and is responsible for all functions associated with supply and delivery of potable water, collection and treatment of liquid waste (sewage), collection and disposal of solid waste (refuse and recycling programs) and certain aspects of the land drainage function.

Winnipeg obtains its water via a covered aqueduct from Shoal Lake, which is located approximately 100 miles (161 km) to the east of the City. Aside from chlorination & fluoridation, the water is not treated, although a treatment plant is being proposed for the future. The Water & Waste department operates 3 wastewater treatment plants and maintains approximately 1490 miles (2400 km) of water distribution piping and approximately 2860 miles (4600 km) of wastewater collection piping, along with associated infrastructure such as pumping stations and lift stations. The department also operates a short line railway from Winnipeg to Shoal Lake for the purpose of maintaining and servicing the aqueduct.

To date, several “home grown” maintenance management systems have co-existed within the epartment. These were, for the most part, old, inefficient and cumbersome. Water & Waste had long wanted to replace these systems with a modern Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) and, after several false starts, the work began in earnest in 1998.

Originally, the intent of the project was to obtain modern and effective CMMS software for use in the wastewater treatment plants. However, the scope expanded several times in its early stages, first incorporating other areas within the Department, then expanding to include Work Process review and improvement, and ultimately spreading to potentially include other departments within the City. Recognizing that the project had expanded to include all aspects of work management, its name was eventually changed to the “Computerized Work Management System (CWMS) Project”.