If you think the U.S. EPA Capacity, Management, Operation and Maintenance (CMOM) program is some complicated, bureaucratic nightmare, then you haven’t read the new CMOM guide from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Here’s a 25-page booklet that walks you through the steps of creating a CMOM program in your community. It’s complete with checklists for the various planning steps, self-audit instructions, a Compliance Maintenance Annual Report form, and a list of references (which, I am flattered to say, includes MSW magazine).
Jack Saltes, M.S., P.E., wastewater operations engineer with the DNR, wrote the book with colleagues Julia Riley, Fran Keally, and Hannah Fass. An EPA grant helped pay for the project. Saltes and colleagues make clear on the introductory page that CMOM has real-world value for municipalities. Specifically, it’s
about:
Protecting public health.
Maintaining a clean environment
Supporting community growth by enabling sewer extensions.
Avoiding basement backups.
Preventing sanitary sewer overflows.
Protecting investment in the infrastructure of pipes and pumps.
It’s hard to imagine a guidebook being clearer or simpler. There are no obtuse regulations or guidelines to read. There’s no legalistic language. There are only straightforward instructions and advice.
Take the Operations and Maintenance section, for example. It’s a two-page spread, and the left-hand page consists of pictures. On the right-hand page, there’s a paragraph of introduction, and then a checklist of basic O&M activities: cleaning, root removal, flow monitoring, sewer line televising, and so on. You’re asked to check the items you have done in the past 12 months, and how much of each item (e.g. percent of system televised, percentage of manholes inspected).
All 10 steps of a CMOM program are covered in this way. It’s easy to envision a collection system staff sitting down with this book and in short order getting organized to develop an effective CMOM program. The book is written specifically for Wisconsin communities, but most of the guidance will apply in any state.
If you’ve been intimidated by CMOM, you no longer will be once you review this booklet. It looks like a truly great resource for collection system professionals. You can download a copy at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/wm/ww/cmar/cmom.htm.
