Enhancing Reliability and Efficiency through Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM): SFPUC’s VPSA Oxygen Plant

Presentation Description: The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) delivers essential water, power, and wastewater services to over 2.7 million Bay Area residents. A cornerstone of this infrastructure is the Southeast Treatment Plant, where the Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption (VPSA) Oxygen Plant plays a critical role in meeting oxygen demands for biological treatment. To improve system reliability, optimize maintenance practices, and reduce costs, SFPUC partnered with MaxGrip to implement a structured Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) program.

This presentation will share SFPUC’s RCM journey—from scope definition and risk assessment to strategy implementation and workforce empowerment. This presentation will share SFPUC’s RCM journey—from scope definition and risk assessment to strategy implementation and workforce empowerment. The project evaluated 349 assets across 155 locations, prioritizing 218 critical assets through Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA). By transitioning from reactive to preventive maintenance, the team developed optimized job plans, improved spare part management, and delivered targeted staff training.

The results demonstrated the significant value of a data-driven reliability approach. Within a twelve-week period, the program achieved an 87% reduction in preventive maintenance work orders, a 44% reduction in operational routes, and measurable improvements in safety and compliance tracking through the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). In addition to technical gains, the project fostered organizational change by embedding a culture of proactive maintenance and equipping staff with hands-on RCM skills.

Attendees will gain insight into how a wastewater utility successfully applied RCM principles to a mission-critical process, balancing operational efficiency, risk management, and workforce engagement. The case demonstrates how utilities can achieve sustainable reliability improvements while preparing their organizations for long-term resilience.