As I write this (just past mid-April), I am sighing with relief at having completed another year’s income tax filing on time.

I don’t do it myself anymore because my finances, while not complicated, are not as simple as when all I had to worry about were mortgage and property tax deductions. I also don’t do it because the tax laws get trickier every year.

So an accountant does my taxes, but I still have to spend plenty of time pulling everything together, so he can do the filing properly (you know, garbage in, garbage out).

This is not a rant against taxes or even against the complexity of the tax system. It’s a metaphor for what collection system operators may feel when they contemplate compliance with the Capacity, Management, Operations and Maintenance (CMOM) program, as envisioned by the U.S. EPA.

Big barrier?

Think about CMOM compliance and the pictures that leap up include voluminous forms, and lots of them, and line-by-line instructions in EPA guidance documents on how to fill them out. Sort of reminds a person of Form 1040.

But there are a few things to remember. First, CMOM is not the law yet, at least not nationally. Second, taking care of sewers is really not about CMOM compliance — it’s about things like stopping leaks, holding down collection and treatment costs, and keeping overflows and spills from happening.

And third, to do those things, you don’t need to fill out a bunch of voluminous forms and follow a lot of impenetrable instructions. You just have to do the basics, and do them well. And you might already be well on your way to doing that.

And fourth, there is such a thing as the Form 1040-EZ of CMOM. Some enterprising folks in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources developed it, with a grant from, of all places, the U.S. EPA.

Down to the essence

This two-dozen-page booklet breaks CMOM compliance down into 10 basic steps and outlines each of them in what is essentially a one-page, large-print checklist. It’s designed especially for smaller communities that don’t have the resources big cities have to create sophisticated CMOM programs or to devise comprehensive, end-to-end collection system inspection, cleaning, repair and maintenance programs.

You’ll not create a big-city-style program for yourself just by using and following this book. But you’re just about certain to improve your collection system and, in the process, get a start down the path to CMOM compliance, in case it ever gets codified.

And speaking of smaller communities, we report often in these pages about what small and mid-sized cities are doing to make their collection systems better. Some of the stories are compelling: There are a lot of bright, dedicated, creative folks managing the infrastructure of America’s hometowns.

We’d like to hear specifically what such communities are doing in the line of CMOM programming. Have you paid much attention to CMOM so far? Or have you simply gone about the daily business of running a tight, cost-effective system?

Give it a try

So tell us your CMOM stories. Send me a note to editor@mswmag.com. I promise to respond, and we’ll look at publishing the responses that point the way toward best practices.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t really thought in terms of CMOM to date, you might seriously consider taking that Wisconsin CMOM book for a test spin. It won’t do you much good at tax time, but it just might help put you on a productive course in managing your vital underground wastewater assets.

Comments on this column or about any article in this publication may be directed to editor Ted J. Rulseh, 800/257-7222 or editor@mswmag.com.