Following a successful pilot of MentorLens, the Genesee County Drain Commissioner Division of Water & Waste Services (GCDC-WWS) has expanded its partnership with MentorAPM, securing subscriptions to three solutions: MentorLens, Risk & Criticality Analyser and Asset Investment Planner. MentorLens is an asset inventory and condition assessment tool that enables field teams to collect and record asset data up to 10 times faster than traditional methods, with improved accuracy and at 75% lower cost through simple photo capture.
“After nearly 40 years in water utility leadership, I believe resilience comes from innovation and data-driven decisions,” said Terry Biederman, PE, assistant director of water at GCDC-WWS. “MentorLens addressed two critical challenges immediately — collecting asset data with limited resources and eliminating manual data entry errors. Our mission is to operate state-of-the-art facilities that protect public health, and MentorAPM provides the data foundation to achieve this.”
GCDC-WWS operates one of Michigan’s largest water utilities, serving approximately 155,000 residents — around one-third of Genesee County — across 21 communities. Previously, condition assessments were costly, time-consuming and often quickly outdated. MentorLens transforms this process by enabling field teams to capture structured asset data rapidly using mobile devices. Images are analysed using AI to generate condition scores and extract key asset attributes, before being integrated seamlessly into the utility’s existing Cityworks work order system, creating a continuous feedback loop between field conditions and operational planning.
By combining continuously updated condition data with operational history, GCDC-WWS can utilise MentorAPM’s Risk & Criticality Analyzer to develop dynamic risk models that identify and prioritise critical assets with greater speed and accuracy. This end-to-end workflow — from data capture to condition assessment to risk analysis — feeds directly into the Asset Investment Planner, supporting the development of precise, risk-based capital improvement plans based on current and reliable insights.
This integrated approach, described by Biederman as unmatched by other asset management providers, enables GCDC-WWS to allocate resources more effectively and plan infrastructure investments with greater clarity than traditional, periodic assessments allow.
“GCDC-WWS views GIS as the geospatial centre of its operations and builds integrated applications around it to maximise its value as a daily tool,” Biederman added. “The criticality and capital planning capabilities of MentorAPM allow us to combine condition assessment data with insights from SCADA and other systems, improving our calculations of failure probability and impact. This forms a strong foundation for more accurate capital planning and implementation. I have not encountered another solution suite with this level of potential.”
The three MentorAPM solutions deployed at GCDC-WWS form part of the broader MentorAPM asset management suite — a comprehensive platform for asset lifecycle and work management in water and wastewater utilities. Together, these tools support the transition from reactive to proactive management, offering clear, data-driven insights to optimise resources and promote sustainable operations.
