Presented by:
Rob Mendel
City of Huntingburg
&
Steve Leatherman
WTH Technology
What is GIS for Utilities?
A Utility Geographic Information System (GIS) combines digital maps and data
to enhance:
Data Collection - Provides a way to convert data from several sources such as
paper maps, AutoCad files, information stored in people’s heads and new data
collected in the field into a common digital and map based format.
Data Analysis - Allows us to view, understand, question, interpret and visualize
data in many ways that reveal relationships data in ways that reveal
relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, reports, and charts.
Data Sharing - Allows utility data to be seen and shared with utility
administrators, billing staff, and workers in the field. It also allows utility
information to be shared with other departments such as public safety,
planning and street departments, and share utility information with elected
officials and the general public.
Gas Utility
Leak Management:
The GIS can used to identify nearest valves or structures that need to be
closed, to separate the leak area from rest of network to mitigate loss
(Key Valves). After an accident or leak, the network has to be restored
and damaged pipe segments have to be replaced. GIS applications can
help in building the footage network that will replace failed network by
identifying types of pipes (cast iron or steel), length of pipes and number
of pipe segments.
Water Utility
The GIS system can identify the sizes and types of water mains that
make up your distribution system. This can be very useful when
looking at required repairs and for water system expansion projects.
Hydrant information is particular important for use in emergency
response.
Electric Utility
The GIS system can help identify how many electric poles are
in your electric system and detailed information about each
electric pole.
For example: age of pole, height of pole, if a street
light is on the pole, number of transformers attached to a
specific electric pole if any, and the size of the transformer, etc.
Electric Utility
Collected Electric Pole Attributes and Attached Photograph
Stormwater Utility
The GIS system can help identify how many miles of stormwater
pipe are located within your system, number of stormwater
inlets, size of pipes within the system, and where possible
upgrades to the system may need to be made.
Wastewater Utility
The GIS system can help identify how many wastewater
manholes are in your system, the type of system (gravity or force
main), the size of pipes, number of lift stations in the system,
total of amount of area serviced by a particular lift station, etc.
Increasing the Use of Your Utility GIS
1) Look for opportunities to gather interest in your GIS system
from people that don’t use it on a daily basis. When they
ask questions about a utility, rather than answering the
question directly, show them how they can use the GIS
system to answer their own questions. Help them to
become familiar with using your GIS system.
2) Ask users what things that they would like to see in the GIS
system.
3)
Building Data Dictionaries – Rather than just going out and
collecting GPS data, take a step back and really think about
what utility information is important to collect, and what
may not be so important. Work on developing data
dictionaries before you collect data.
Increasing the Use of Your Utility GIS
4) Capturing Tribal Knowledge – It is very important to get
utility information in your utility GIS that represents tribal
knowledge. Maybe only one person in the in the utility
department has knowledge that is critical to operations. A
death or retirement may result in a substantial loss of time
and money to reconstruct this information and some
knowledge may be lost forever.
5) Using Laptops in the Field – The use of laptops in the field
has really helped for utility locates, shut-offs and reconnects.
QUESTIONS ??