The Skill Being Assessed
As a professional in physical and infrastructure asset management, your ability to systematically identify, analyze, and evaluate risks is fundamental. This skill allows you to protect asset value, ensure operational continuity, and make defensible decisions about where to invest limited resources.
This assessment challenges you to apply a formal risk management framework to a real-world scenario. You will move beyond theory to create a risk register, a critical tool used by organizations to document and manage threats to their asset portfolios. Mastering this process demonstrates your capacity to manage assets proactively, not just reactively.
Your Task
You are an Asset Manager for the City of Northwood's Public Works department. Recent meteorological forecasts predict an unusually severe storm season, posing a significant threat to the city's aging water treatment infrastructure. The Director has tasked you with conducting a formal risk assessment and developing a comprehensive risk register for the city's primary water treatment facility.
Your task is to use the provided resources—a memo from the Director, an inventory of the facility's key assets, and a guide to the ISO 31000 framework—to produce a professional risk register. Your final submission should be a document that clearly identifies potential risks, analyzes their likelihood and impact, evaluates their priority, and proposes specific, actionable treatment plans for the most critical threats.
Resources and Data
Use the following documents and data to complete your risk assessment. They provide the necessary context, asset details, and procedural guidance for your task.
Director's Memo: This memo from the Director of Public Works officially assigns the task and outlines the strategic context and urgency.
Key Document: MEMORANDUM: Urgent Risk Assessment for Water Treatment Facilities
Asset Inventory: This data file contains a list of key assets at the Northwood Primary Water Treatment Facility. Pay close attention to the installation dates and current condition ratings to inform your assessment.
City of Northwood - Water Treatment Asset Inventory
| Asset ID | Asset Name | Asset Type | Location | Installation Date | Last Maintenance Date | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WTP-PMP-001 | Raw Water Influent Pump 1 | Pump | Influent Pumping Station | 1999 | 2023-05-15 | Fair |
| WTP-GEN-001 | Emergency Backup Generator | Backup Generator | Power House | 1998 | 2023-11-20 | Poor |
| WTP-MOT-003 | Flocculator Motor A | Motor | Flocculation Basin 1 | 2002 | 2022-09-01 | Fair |
| WTP-SCD-001 | Main Plant SCADA System | SCADA Control Panel | Central Control Room | 2021 | 2024-01-10 | Fair |
| WTP-MEM-004 | UF Membrane Cassette 4B | Filtration Membrane | Membrane Filtration Hall | 2018 | 2023-08-30 | Good |
| WTP-CHM-002 | Chlorine Dosing System | Chemical Dosing System | Disinfection Hall | 2004 | 2023-07-18 | Poor |
| WTP-PMP-008 | High-Lift Service Pump 3 | Pump | Finished Water Pumping Station | 2022 | 2024-03-05 | Excellent |
| WTP-MOT-011 | Backwash Pump Motor B | Motor | Filtration Gallery | 2014 | 2023-12-01 | Good |
| WTP-SCD-003 | Remote Pumping Station PLC | SCADA Control Panel | Remote Well Field #2 | 2016 | 2024-02-11 | Excellent |
| WTP-CHM-005 | Fluoride Dosing System | Chemical Dosing System | Post-Treatment Hall | 2019 | 2023-10-25 | Good |
| WTP-DRV-002 | Clarifier 2 Drive Unit | Motor | Sedimentation Basin 2 | 2001 | 2022-04-12 | Poor |
| WTP-MEM-001 | GAC Filter Media Bed 1 | Filtration Membrane | GAC Contactor Bay | 2003 | 2021-11-01 | Poor |
ISO 31000 Process Guide: This diagram provides a high-level overview of the ISO 31000 risk management process. Use it to structure your approach.
📊 View Diagram: ISO 31000 Risk Management Process
Submit Your Work
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Next Steps
Excellent work applying your skills to this practical challenge. You have successfully completed the risk assessment and developed a professional risk register.
Please navigate back to the main course page to continue your learning journey.
