Sewer Operations
Process benchmarking sewer operation
The sewer operation process benchmarking looks back at a more than ten year success story. The process model was developed in 2000 by sewer network operators together with aquabench GmbH. Since then it has been used annually and further expanded by companies of various sizes and legal forms. The number of participants altogether has grown to over 60 companies from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, which have taken part in sewer operation benchmarking in various regional groups.
Courses of action
The recognition of optimisation potentials and the therefrom resultant derivation of courses of action and the implementation and/or integration into operational practice is an important component part of a process benchmarking. Therefore, within the framework of the final reports, documentation of the courses of action takes place based on the results of a survey year. The aquabench GmbH summarises the courses of action of all participants for the purpose of mutual information on courses of action introduced and key activities. Through this the exchange between participants with similarly articulated questions on operational practice is further supported and encouraged.
[Frontispiece and contents list of “Process Benchmarking Sewer Operation – Overview of courses of action, Survey Year 2009” (Not available in English).]
Objective of investigation
The area of consideration in the sewer operation process benchmarking covers all applications and activities which, within the scope of the responsibility for wastewater disposal, are carried out in the facilities of the public sewer network – with the exception of the connection services. Essentially, with this one is concerned with the sub-processes of treatment, inspection and maintenance as well as the repair on the cost-relevant objects sewers and manholes, pump stations and special structures. In addition, further sub-processes such as, for example, the emptying of collecting pits without outlets, operating faults and the combatting of rats are also considered. The companies, which take on tasks in connection with the operation of street drains, can also compare themselves in this “street outlet” sub-process.
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For each sub-process the steps of the situation assessment and cause analysis take place in order to be able to develop firm courses of action from the results.
Situation assessment and cause analysis
The situation assessment, for example for the sub-process cleaning of sewers and manholes, takes place with the help of the two key performance indicators “Specific cleaning expenditure” [€ / networkkm] and “Expenditure-performance ratio” [€ / m]. Along with the average of the respective comparison group reference further mean values are indicated (e.g. mean value of all participants in sewer operation process benchmarking with a network length < 500 km and > 500 km respectively).
In the cause analysis a consideration of the types of expenditure takes place (costs of personnel and vehicles as well as purchased services) as well as an analysis of the influencing factors which have an effect on the key performance indicators (e.g. crew strength, productivity, variable vehicle costs). Furthermore, modifiable (e.g. the share of the annual cleaned stretch) and non-modifiable influencing factors (e.g. the average gradient) are also included in the analysis in order, ultimately, to find the fine-tuning parameters, which allow an optimisation potential to be recognised.
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Course of a project
The timely course of a project is, as a rule, configured as follows:
| Was | Wann |
| Preparation of data collection, Instruction of new participants | I. Quarter |
| Data collection | II. Quarter |
| Quality assurance of the data, “Quality assurance“ workshop for new participants, Draft report | III. Quarter |
| “Evaluation and analysis” workshop for all participants, Formulation of courses of action, Final report | IV. Quarter |
| Contact | Phone | |
| Michael Zentner | +49(40) - 47 11 24 - 33 | m.zentner@aquabench.de |
| Sven Weiher | +49(40) - 47 11 24 - 32 | s.weiher@aquabench.de |
| Marius Wilke | +49(2203)-359 29 -27 | m.wilke@aquabench.de |
Reference Customers for the Sewer Operations Product
| Name | Participant | Tel.: | E-Mail: |
| Roden, Helmut von | Municipal Sewage Works of the City of Hannover | +49(511) 168-47340 | helmut.vonroden@hannover-stadt.de |
| Sprich, Jürgen | Municipal Sewage Works of the City of Stuttgart | +49(711) 216-2228 | Juergen.Sprich@Stuttgart.de |
