ABSTRACT
After a water, wastewater, or stormwater facility is constructed, it enters the operational phase of its life cycle. If the facility has been constructed well and is maintained effectively, this phase can be long and productive, delivering many valuable services to customers. If construction is poor and maintenance is neglected, the opposite will be true. This period in the life cycle is often called the O&M (operations and maintenance) phase, but the name operations is another common term. Whatever the name, the focus will be on operations and maintenance as well as all-around security for the system and its associated equipment, materials, and personnel. While the concept of operations is simple, it becomes a challenge when applied to complex systems with many components.
