The problem is managing our wastewater collections system. What is the best asset management software for sewer and stormwater networks?

For a wastewater collections system (sanitary sewer, combined sewer, and stormwater networks), the “best” asset management software depends heavily on your utility’s size, GIS environment, inspection practices, and whether you need maintenance management, risk-based capital planning, hydraulic modeling, or all of the above. There is no single winner, but these are the leading options I would evaluate.

Top wastewater/stormwater asset management platforms

My shortlist by utility situation

If you are a municipal wastewater utility with GIS as the backbone

Start with:

1. Cityworks + Esri GIS
2. Autodesk InfoAsset Manager
3. OpenGov Wastewater Collection

These tend to align well with day-to-day collection system operations: inspections, cleaning, CCTV records, work orders, manholes, lift stations, and rehabilitation planning.

If your biggest problem is aging infrastructure and CIP prioritization

Look hardest at:

• Autodesk InfoAsset Manager
• Jacobs Argon
• IBM Maximo (especially for enterprise utilities)

Key capabilities:

• probability of failure
• consequence of failure
• risk ranking
• remaining useful life
• rehabilitation scenarios
• defensible capital budgets

EPA guidance emphasizes that wastewater asset management systems should support asset inventories, condition assessment, work orders, risk prioritization, GIS integration, and capital planning—not just store pipe data.

If your biggest problem is field operations

Prioritize:

• mobile inspections
• offline field capability
• CCTV integration
• cleaning schedules
• lift station rounds
• overflow/SSO tracking
• automated work orders

A system that engineers like but operators do not use will usually fail. EPA notes that CMMS/EAM tools are valuable because they connect maintenance activities, inspections, and asset condition data to proactive decision-making.

What I would require in an RFP

For sewer and stormwater networks, I would score vendors on:

• GIS integration

• Esri ArcGIS compatibility

• map-based asset editing

• spatial risk analysis

• Collection system assets

• pipes

• manholes

• laterals

• lift stations

• pumps

• wet wells

• outfalls

• storm structures

• Condition assessment

• NASSCO PACP/MACP/LACP support

• CCTV import

• defect coding

• inspection history

• Risk and capital planning

• failure probability

• consequence scoring

• rehabilitation scenarios

• budget optimization

• Operations

• work orders

• preventive maintenance

• mobile apps

• crew tracking

• photos and documents

• Integration

• SCADA

• hydraulic models

• CMMS/EAM

• ERP/finance systems

Practical recommendation

For many U.S. municipalities, my first three demonstrations would be:

1. Autodesk InfoAsset Manager — best overall fit for comprehensive wastewater/stormwater asset management and long-term planning.
2. Trimble Cityworks — best if your organization is heavily invested in Esri GIS and needs strong field/work management.
3. OpenGov Wastewater Collection — best if you want a more focused collection-system operational platform.

If you tell me your utility size (miles of sewer/storm pipe, number of lift stations, population served), current GIS platform (Esri, Maximo, Cityworks, etc.), and main pain point (SSOs, inspections, CIP planning, work orders, stormwater compliance), I can narrow this to a more specific recommendation.

Managing a wastewater collection and stormwater network requires software that does more than just track work orders—it needs deep spatial mapping integration (GIS), CCTV inspection compatibility, and proactive lifecycle modeling.

The industry standard for sewer and stormwater asset management centers around a few proven, market-leading platforms tailored specifically for public works and utilities:

• Trimble Cityworks : Widely considered an industry gold standard for public agencies. It is built natively on Esri’s ArcGIS platform, meaning your pipe networks, manholes, and catch basins are tied directly to spatial maps. It excels at combining GIS asset management with robust work orders, permitting, and service requests.
• OpenGov EAM (formerly Cartegraph) : Known for its exceptional user interface and operational clarity. OpenGov EAM allows wastewater and stormwater teams to track asset conditions, prioritize maintenance, budget for capital improvements, and run predictive "what-if" scenarios regarding pipe replacements or cleaning cycles.
• Infor Public Sector (IPS) : A powerful, enterprise-grade solution built for larger municipalities and utilities. It integrates financial management, asset tracking, regulatory compliance, and work management into a unified suite, handling complex utility grids very effectively.
• CentralSquare (incorporating Lucity) : Highly popular among mid-sized local governments and utilities. It offers smooth, specialized modules for wastewater and stormwater management, seamlessly tracking televising logs, flushing, root-cutting, and routine repairs alongside strong GIS links.
• IBM Maximo : The heavy-hitter for massive enterprise utilities or combined water/wastewater treatment plants. While heavily focused on complex asset reliability and predictive maintenance, it requires a larger IT footprint to deploy and maintain than municipal-specific packages.

Crucial Feature Checklist for Wastewater/Stormwater:

When evaluating which tool fits your specific network, ensure it supports:

To help narrow down the ideal platform, tell me:

• What is the approximate size of your network (pipe miles or number of assets)?
• Are you already heavily invested in an Esri GIS environment?
• Do you need the system to handle customer billing/citizen requests or strictly maintenance operations?

For a wastewater collection system (sanitary sewer + stormwater networks), the “best” asset management software depends on your utility size, existing GIS/CMMS environment, and whether your priority is maintenance execution, risk-based capital planning, hydraulic modeling, or field inspections. There is no single winner for every utility. EPA also distinguishes between CMMS (work management) and EAM (enterprise asset management with lifecycle planning), so it is important to match the platform to your goals.

Here are the leading options I would shortlist:

My typical recommendations by utility profile

Large regional utility or municipality

Consider:

1. Autodesk InfoAsset Manager + GIS + hydraulic modeling tools
2. IBM Maximo if you need enterprise-wide asset management across water, wastewater, fleet, facilities, and other departments
3. Bentley OpenFlows + an EAM platform if modeling is a major driver

Medium municipal wastewater collection system

A strong shortlist would be:

1. Autodesk InfoAsset Manager
2. OpenGov Wastewater Collection Asset Management
3. ArcGIS-based asset management with a CMMS integration

Small utility with limited staff

Look for simplicity:

1. Ziptility
2. A GIS-centered solution with mobile inspections
3. A lighter CMMS/EAM approach

Capabilities I would require in an RFP

For sewer and stormwater networks, I would not select software unless it supports:

• GIS-based asset inventory (mains, manholes, laterals, lift stations, outfalls, basins)
• CCTV inspection imports (NASSCO PACP if applicable)
• Condition scoring and deterioration modeling
• Risk ranking based on likelihood of failure × consequence of failure
• Work orders and preventive maintenance
• Mobile field inspections with photos/GPS
• SSO/CSO tracking and regulatory reporting
• Capital improvement planning and rehabilitation prioritization
• Integration with hydraulic models (e.g., InfoWorks ICM, SewerGEMS)
• Open APIs or strong GIS/CMMS integration

A practical “best overall” starting point for many municipal sewer collection departments would be Autodesk InfoAsset Manager if you need mature asset analytics, or OpenGov if your main pain point is day-to-day collections operations and field workflows.

If you tell me your utility size (miles of sewer/storm pipe, number of lift stations, population served), current GIS/CMMS (Esri, Cityworks, Cartegraph, Maximo, etc.), and your main problem (backups, I&I, inspections, CIP planning, compliance, work orders), I can narrow this to a top 2–3 recommendation.

Managing an underground wastewater and stormwater collection network requires specialized software that focuses on linear assets (pipes, manholes, laterals) and "outside-the-fence" geospatial tracking, rather than generic building maintenance . The market does not have one absolute best choice; instead, the top software solutions excel based on your team's specific size, tech stack, and primary focus.

The industry-leading platforms for sewer and stormwater management include:

• Trimble Cityworks: Best overall for GIS-first municipal networks. It integrates directly with Esri ArcGIS, meaning your map is your database. Work orders, CCTV inspections, and condition data update your spatial records natively without requiring complex data syncing.
• OpenGov Asset Management: Best for modern usability and capital planning. It offers automated Business Risk Exposure (BRE) scoring, mobile-first field checklists for sewer inspectors, and powerful capital improvement programming (CIP) tools to turn condition assessments into multi-year budget requests.
• Ziptility: Best tailored software for small-to-medium utility districts. It avoids the heavy setup, overhead costs, and complexity of enterprise platforms. It is a map-first application designed to let field operators log cleanings, blockages, and pipe data straight from their smartphones.
• NEXGEN Utility Asset Management: Best for full operational lifecycle tracking. It features automated Asset Condition Index (ACI) scoring and handles complex asset hierarchies for municipal environments, seamlessly tying stormwater MS4 compliance metrics to day-to-day warehouse inventory and job costing.

Feature Comparison Matrix

Core Requirements for Wastewater/Stormwater Software

When selecting a tool, ensure it checks these crucial utility boxes:

• Linear Asset Focus: Ensure the software treats pipes, manholes, and drop inlets as interconnected continuous systems rather than isolated objects.
• Inspection Integration: The platform should natively ingest standardized formats like NASSCO (PACP/MACP) from your CCTV inspection vehicles or automated AI analysis tools.
• Regulatory & MS4 Tracking: For stormwater, the tool must record Minimum Control Measures (MCMs) to maintain EPA NPDES permit compliance seamlessly.

To help me narrow down the absolute best fit for your team, please tell me:

• What is the approximate size or population of your service district?
• Do you have dedicated GIS staff who manage Esri maps, or do you need a standalone map built into the tool?
• What is your primary goal right now? (e.g., getting off paper logs, predicting main breaks, or passing an upcoming EPA/regulatory audit?)

Managing a wastewater collection and stormwater network requires software that excels "outside the fence"—handling linear assets like gravity mains, manholes, catch basins, and lift stations alongside heavy GIS and work order demands.

The "best" software depends heavily on your organization's size, budget, and existing tech ecosystem. The top-rated solutions tailored for sewer and stormwater networks include:

• Cityworks (Trimble) : Widely regarded as the gold standard for municipalities managing infrastructure outside the plant. It natively integrates with Esri ArcGIS, making it unmatched if your workflow is map-centric. It handles work orders, inspections, and permit tracking seamlessly.
• Hexagon EAM : Recognized as a leading enterprise platform for utilities with exceptionally deep linear asset management capabilities and robust native GIS functionality. It's built for scale and complex, multi-utility management.
• IBM Maximo Application Suite : The heavy-duty enterprise choice for large regional water authorities and major cities. It offers advanced reliability, predictive maintenance, and comprehensive lifecycle management, though it comes with a steeper implementation curve and higher cost.
• OpenGov : A modern, cloud-native option growing rapidly in the local government space. It offers great mobile inspection tools, condition-based alerts, and connected asset views tailored to ease emergency repairs and overflows.
• Autodesk Info360 Asset : Excellent for combining cloud-based data management with AI-driven CCTV inspection analysis (via integrations like VAPAR) to accurately score pipe risk and prioritize repairs.

To help narrow down which option fits best, let me know:

• What is the approximate size of your service population or network (e.g., small municipality vs. regional authority)?
• Do you currently use Esri ArcGIS as your primary GIS mapping system?
• Are you looking primarily for field work/work order management (CMMS) or advanced capital planning and risk modeling?

If you’re managing a municipal wastewater collection system plus stormwater network, I’d put GIS-centric asset management ahead of a generic CMMS. Your core system should connect the mapped network to inspections, work orders, condition, risk, maintenance history, and capital planning.

My shortlist

The EPA's earlier comparative work specifically evaluated asset-management systems on asset inventory, condition assessment, risk management, GIS, work orders, and related utility functions—the right dimensions for your use case.

1. My first choice: OpenGov EAM

For a city/county wastewater collection department, I'd start here.

OpenGov's current EAM platform combines GIS, asset records, inspections, work orders, preventive maintenance, mobile field work, condition information, costs, and capital planning. It explicitly supports water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure.

For sewer collections, that means you can build workflows around:

• Gravity sewer mains
• Force mains
• Manholes
• Cleanouts
• Laterals
• Lift stations
• Pumps
• Valves
• Storm drains
• Catch basins/inlets
• Culverts
• Outfalls
• Detention/retention facilities

A particularly relevant example: Suisun City evaluated six proposals and selected OpenGov/Cartegraph for a system that included sewer and storm-drain infrastructure, with the wastewater module covering mains, force mains, laterals, cleanouts, pumps and manholes.

2. Cityworks is the other one I'd put through a serious evaluation

If your organization is an Esri-heavy shop, Cityworks is extremely compelling.

Its fundamental architecture is GIS-centric: assets live in the GIS environment and work orders, inspections, service requests and maintenance activities are tied to those mapped assets. It supports water, wastewater and stormwater networks.

That is especially valuable if your problem is essentially:

"We have a GIS map of our sewer system, but we aren't effectively turning that information into an operating and asset-management program."

Cityworks is very good at bridging that gap.

One wrinkle: Cityworks is now in the process of transitioning under Trimble's broader asset-lifecycle-management branding, so I'd evaluate the current Trimble product roadmap rather than buying based on older Cityworks literature.

What I would not make the primary selection criterion

Don't select software primarily because it has a good work-order module.

For wastewater collections, I'd score vendors heavily on whether they can answer questions such as:

"Which sewer assets are most likely to fail, what would failure cost us, and what should we do about them?"

You want the system to eventually produce something like:

2,400 sewer mains → condition score → probability of failure → consequence of failure → risk score → recommended inspection/rehabilitation/replacement → estimated cost → CIP priority.

And similarly for stormwater:

1,800 inlets/culverts/outfalls → inspection history → blockage/condition → flood consequence → risk → maintenance frequency → capital priority.

That's the difference between asset management and simply having an electronic work-order system.

The decision I'd make

If I were running your procurement, I'd probably narrow it to:

OpenGov EAM vs. Cityworks/Trimble

and then bring in Maximo or AssetWorks if you are a large utility with sophisticated enterprise requirements.

I'd give OpenGov the edge if you want a practical municipal operations + asset-management platform that field crews can actually use. I'd give Cityworks the edge if Esri GIS is the center of your organization and you want the GIS to remain the authoritative asset database. Cityworks' current product documentation emphasizes exactly that GIS-centric approach.

If you tell me roughly how many sewer miles, manholes, lift stations, stormwater assets, field employees, and whether you're already an Esri/ArcGIS shop, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 products for your system and give you a procurement-style comparison, including what I would put in the RFP requirements.

If your main problem is managing wastewater collection and stormwater networks, I would put GIS-centric asset management ahead of a generic CMMS. You want the pipe/manhole/inlet/outfall to be the central asset, with inspections, CCTV, cleaning, blockages, overflows, work orders, condition, risk, and capital planning all tied to it.

My shortlist

My first choice would be Cityworks if you already use Esri ArcGIS. Cityworks is built around the GIS database rather than maintaining a separate asset inventory, and supports wastewater, stormwater, inspections, work orders, service requests, field work, asset condition and risk.

That's particularly attractive for collections because you can have a single map-based system showing, for example:

Sewer main → manholes → laterals → lift stations → inspections → CCTV → defects → cleaning → stoppages → SSOs → work orders → condition/risk → rehabilitation projects.

Cityworks also explicitly supports network management, risk assessment, inspections, work orders and field operations.

Where Lucity is particularly interesting

I'd give Lucity a very serious look if wastewater/stormwater is the heart of the requirement rather than general municipal asset management. Its sewer and storm modules specifically handle sewer/storm assets, maintenance, inspections, incidents, illicit discharge and environmental compliance.

The EPA's asset-management guidance also specifically identifies Cityworks and Lucity among the established systems evaluated for asset inventory, condition assessment, risk management, GIS and work-order capabilities.

One important distinction

Don't confuse asset management software with hydraulic/network modeling software.

For example, Bentley OpenFlows, Innovyze and similar products are excellent for questions such as:

• Where will the collection system surcharge?
• What happens during a 10-year storm?
• Where are capacity bottlenecks?
• What pipe diameter should we install?
• How will a new development affect the system?

But your day-to-day problem—"What assets do we have, what condition are they in, what work needs to happen, who did it, what did it cost, and what should we replace first?"—is primarily an EAM/CMMS/GIS problem.

What I would require in an RFP

For a wastewater collections department, I would make these must-have requirements, rather than simply asking vendors to demonstrate generic "asset management":

1. GIS as the authoritative asset inventory
2. Sewer and stormwater network topology
3. Manhole/inlet/outfall inspections
4. CCTV/NASSCO PACP integration
5. Defect/condition scoring
6. Preventive maintenance programs
7. Jetting/vacuum cleaning history
8. Blockage and stoppage tracking
9. SSO/overflow tracking
10. Lift-station and pump assets
11. Mobile/offline field work
12. GPS/location and map-based work orders
13. Labor, equipment and material costing
14. Risk-based prioritization
15. Rehabilitation/replacement planning
16. Capital-project integration
17. Hydraulic-model integration
18. SCADA/IoT integration where appropriate
19. Customer/service-request integration
20. Dashboards for supervisors and management

If you tell me roughly how big your system is (miles of sewer/storm pipe, number of manholes/inlets, employees/crews, and whether you already use ArcGIS), I can narrow this to the 2–3 systems I'd actually recommend for your organization, including likely implementation difficulty, strengths/weaknesses, and what I would put in the RFP.

Managing a wastewater collection and stormwater network requires software that bridges linear asset tracking (pipes, manholes, catch basins), point asset management (lift stations, pumps), and tight Esri GIS integration.

Because there is no single "best" fit for every organization—scale, budget, and existing tech stacks heavily dictate choice—the top-tier platforms for sewer and stormwater networks stand out in specific categories:

Top Enterprise & Municipal Solutions

• Cityworks (Azteca Systems): Widely considered an industry gold standard for public works and utilities. It is built natively on top of Esri's ArcGIS, meaning your asset map is your database. It excels at combining work orders, inspections, permitting, and cyclic maintenance for both sewer collections and MS4 stormwater compliance.
• Hexagon EAM (HxGN EAM): A powerhouse for heavy linear asset management. If your collection system includes extensive miles of interceptors, complex force mains, and multiple treatment or pumping facilities, Hexagon offers deep reliability, predictive maintenance, and strong analytics.
• IBM Maximo: The enterprise choice for very large utilities and regional authorities. Its Utilities Industry Solution handles sophisticated asset lifecycles, advanced inventory, and predictive analytics, though it requires a higher technical implementation and maintenance overhead.
• Autodesk Info360 Asset / InfoAsset: Excellent if your primary pain point is combining condition assessment (such as AI-driven CCTV pipe inspections via partnerships like VAPAR) with hydraulic modeling and risk-based capital planning.

Streamlined & Mid-Market Alternatives

• OpenGov: Highly popular for modern local governments and special districts looking for cloud-native usability. It features intuitive, map-driven workflows specifically designed for wastewater collections and stormwater/MS4 permitting without the heavy bloat of legacy enterprise software.
• iWorQ Systems: A favorite for smaller to mid-sized municipalities. It offers robust, cloud-based sewer and stormwater management modules with built-in mapping, easy work order generation, and straightforward compliance reporting at a more accessible price point.
• VUEWorks: A flexible, web-enabled and GIS-integrated solution that tracks asset condition, failure risk, and expenditure history specifically tailored for local government utilities like sewer and water.

To help narrow down the right platform for your team, tell me:

• What is the approximate size of your network (mileage of gravity/force mains or number of customers)?
• Do you already use Esri ArcGIS as your core mapping system?
• Is your biggest bottleneck field work orders, CCTV/condition grading , or regulatory/MS4 compliance?

For a wastewater collection system (sanitary sewer + stormwater network), the “best” asset management software depends heavily on your utility size, GIS environment, and whether your priority is field maintenance, risk-based capital planning, regulatory compliance, or hydraulic modeling. There is no single winner, but these are the leading options I would evaluate. EPA’s reviews of water utility asset management tools have historically emphasized comparing capabilities across asset management, GIS, work orders, and maintenance workflows rather than selecting one universal platform.

My shortlist by utility type

Small to mid-sized wastewater utility (roughly <50,000–100,000 connections)

• Ziptility
• Cityworks
• Cartegraph

Large municipal or regional wastewater authority

• Autodesk InfoAsset Manager
• IBM Maximo
• Bentley AssetWise

If your biggest problem is pipe failures, I&I, SSO risk, and capital planning

• I would lean toward Autodesk InfoAsset Manager because it is designed around understanding network condition, risk, and renewal decisions, including GIS and hydraulic model integration.

If your biggest problem is crews, inspections, cleaning schedules, CCTV records, and work orders

• I would lean toward Cityworks or Ziptility, depending on scale and GIS maturity.

Capabilities I would require in an RFP

For a sewer/stormwater network, I would not select a system unless it supports:

• GIS-based asset inventory (pipes, manholes, catch basins, outfalls, pump stations)
• Condition ratings from CCTV/NASSCO PACP or similar inspections
• Risk scoring (likelihood × consequence of failure)
• Work orders tied directly to assets
• Mobile field inspections (including offline capability)
• Preventive maintenance schedules
• CCTV integration
• I&I and overflow history tracking
• Capital improvement prioritization
• Integration with your GIS, SCADA, hydraulic model, and financial system

A useful question for vendors is: “Can an operator open a map on a tablet, select a sewer segment, see its inspection history and risk score, create a work order, and feed the repair cost back into lifecycle planning?” The platforms that do that well are usually the ones that deliver real value.

If you tell me your utility size (miles of sewer/storm pipe, number of manholes, lift stations, users/connections), current GIS (Esri or other), and whether you need CMMS/work orders or mainly asset planning, I can narrow this to a top 2–3 recommendation.

There is no single "best" asset management software for every wastewater and stormwater network because the right choice depends heavily on your agency’s size, budget, and whether you lean more toward municipal public works or heavy industrial plant operations.

The industry leaders are segmented below by their primary strengths:

• Cityworks (by Trimble) — The gold standard for municipal "outside the fence" network management. It is built natively on top of Esri's ArcGIS, making it unmatched if your primary requirement is tightly coupling linear underground assets (pipes, manholes, catch basins) with spatial GIS data, work orders, and public works permitting.
• IBM Maximo — The heavyweight enterprise solution. Best suited for massive regional water authorities, combined systems, and complex utilities that require robust enterprise asset management (EAM), predictive maintenance, and deep integration across massive operational footprints.
• Hexagon EAM — A top-tier alternative for deep linear asset management and heavy utility operations. It offers robust native GIS functionality and powerful tracking for both collection networks and facility mechanical assets.
• Autodesk Info360 Asset — Excellent for data-driven, risk-based capital planning. It leverages cloud connectivity and AI-driven insights (such as analyzing CCTV inspection footage) to help teams prioritize pipe repair, rehabilitation, and risk scoring.
• OpenGov — A modern, cloud-native option growing rapidly in the local government space. Highly praised for intuitive mobile field inspections, MS4 and NPDES stormwater compliance reporting, and streamlined work order generation.
• NEXGEN Asset Management — Highly specialized for utilities. It features powerful modules explicitly tailored for wastewater treatment, sewer collection inventory, automated preventive maintenance, and condition assessment indexing (like calculating ACI ACI A C I scores).

To help narrow down which platform fits your system, tell me:

• What is the approximate size of your network (population served, pipe miles, or number of assets/lift stations)?
• Do you heavily rely on Esri ArcGIS as your central GIS mapping source?
• Are you looking primarily to manage field operations and work orders , or long-term capital planning and regulatory compliance?