NTMWD Condition Assessment Program Named National Project of the Year
North Texas Municipal Water District’s Condition Assessment Program (CAP), a pioneering effort to keep infrastructure in prime condition using high-tech inspections and evaluations, was named 2026 Asset Management Project of the Year by the Underground Infrastructure Conference (UIC).
UIC, which brings together engineers, contractors, senior management, and utility operators in the sewer, water, wastewater, gas, electric, telecommunications and fiber industries, said the CAP program “represents best-in-class, data-driven asset management, setting a benchmark for proactive infrastructure planning, risk reduction, and long-term system reliability.”
Freese and Nichols water/wastewater planners have collaborated with NTMWD for a decade on the program, which between 2017 and 2025 involved inspecting more than 790,000 feet of gravity mains and 875 manholes, making it one of the most comprehensive efforts of its kind.
Applying technology for inspections and assessment
Multi-sensor tools captured detailed data on structural defects, such as the amount of wall lost inside a pipeline, and 3D optical scanning provided precise manhole assessments. After inspection, each asset was assigned a “Remaining Useful Life” score based on its level of deterioration and the severity of defects. The goal was to determine where immediate repairs were needed, where rehabilitation could be worked into a longer-term plan and what the consequences would be if a pipeline in a particular area failed.
In addition to considering the likelihood of a pipeline or other asset failing based on its condition, the risk-based assessment model takes public safety into account, combining operational, environmental and social impacts.
The program has allowed NTMWD managers to make informed decisions about repairs and replacements, helping prevent costly emergency failures, optimizing spending and extending the life of critical infrastructure. NTMWD also has been able to restore conveyance system capacity, potentially deferring or eliminating Capital Improvement Program projects, thus saving public funds. In one instance, for example, a gravity line was found to be more than half full of debris, so removing this debris restored its capacity and a proposed improvement could be canceled. The District’s Geographic Information System also is updated regularly now, providing a more holistic picture of the collection system and allowing proactive, well-prioritized, and data-driven decisions.
