Effective use of condition assessment within asset management

Findings from a two‐year research project focusing on current water industry practices suggest that condition assessment often is undertaken in an ad hoc manner. This article seeks to place the use of condition assessment within the context of emerging asset management principles. To this end, the authors provide definitions of asset management, asset condition, and condition assessment, along with summary findings from a web‐based survey, literature review, and case studies used to investigate current practices. A conceptual framework is introduced that aligns condition assessment with asset management principles via a performance monitoring system based on service levels. Formalized asset management is increasingly being put forward as a solution to the challenge of aging infrastructure. Measuring the service provided by the utility and using this parameter to decide when and where to spend limited funds will help water managers move from an ad hoc approach to condition assessment to a better alignment of condition assessment within their asset management programs.