GIS for Infrastructure Management and Construction
Water and wastewater organizations are often responsible for constructing and/or overseeing the development of new facilities and replacement of old facilities. GIS aids in tracking information related to projects, permits, construction work order management, inspections, as-builts, and so forth.
Dynamic segmentation and image integration features in GIS allow utilities to store and display images in conjunction with a footage reading and a description of the pipe defect (roots, grease, other problems). Maps, drawings, and pictures can also be associated with valves, manholes, drop inlets, and other features to provide valuable information to the user.
GIS for Planning and Engineering
Water agencies use GIS to map the full extent of their water distribution systems and link them to a database defining each element including reservoirs, pipe segments, services, and system appurtenances.
GIS provides you with an intelligent database so that job planning, equipment inventory, and flow analysis become an automated procedure integrated into one system. You can link your current network modeling system to the GIS, tie it to the attribute data, and map the results.
GIS software allows you to represent a project in three-dimensional form to visualize the impact of facilities on landscape during the design process. This data can then be combined with other computer-aided engineering functions to assist the engineering designer in the planning and scenario testing of various designs.
Planning and engineering tasks that can be accomplished easily using GIS software include
- Watershed modeling
- Water distribution system master planning
- Population and demand projections
- Groundwater management/modeling
- Water quality monitoring
- Hazardous materials tracking/underground tank management
- Well log and data management
- Site analysis
- Geobibliography (past studies)
- Development review and approval
- Right-of-way engineering
- Water flow analysis
- Automated mapping
- Capital improvement project tracking
- Underground service alert
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