Every wastewater system is unique: Age, geography, pipe materials, rehab methods, and climate all shape infrastructure over time. But even in the diverse landscape of American utilities, some systems stand out.

The Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) had never been satisfied by its sewer assessment and asset management program. As a special purpose government commission, it relies on service fees, not tax dollars, to provide water, sewer and reclaimed water services to select parts of Orange County, North Carolina, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The organization manages an extensive and complex infrastructure, including 343 miles of sewer pipe and some 22,000 water connections serving a population of approximately 80,000 people.