Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/59336
directly from the field to their geodatabase through Web-enabled or smartphone devices. Data can be analyzed instantly to generate charts and reports. In seconds, a public-works director can see condition ratings for the entire system and view the construction material and age of all assets, and these data can be compared against frequent SSO occurrences. Reports can be shared with city-council members to establish budgets for rehabilitation plans that will fix the system's most critical parts. Some wastewater operators have sewer-line videos collecting dust in their office. Those videos, as-built draw- ings and photographs can be "linked" to features in the GIS. Is the city having a reoccurring SSO at First St. and Main? The gravity main in question can be selected in the GIS, and the desired sewer-inspection video, for example, can be viewed instantly to check for previous problems. Engineering firms benefit from the analytical capabilities of a GIS program. With accurate data, a city can effectively formulate a long-term Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). A CIP budget can be set aside and executed over a number of years, resulting in various contracts for engineering services. Engineering firms utilize trustworthy GIS data, including accurate manhole materials, rim elevations, pipe size, and the length and flow of gravity mains for various wastewater-improvement projects. Work-order management goes hand-in-hand with addressing SSO events. A maintenance system for work orders can be integrated into a Web-based pro- gram, and managing utility assets and work orders in a centralized program benefits any city. Managers can maintain all work-order requests, calendars, employees and departments from within a GIS. Work-order tasks can be distributed more effectively based on location and available resources, and work is completed more efficiently. lOriginal utility drawings and sewer-line videos can be updated and integrated into a user-friendly Web-based GIS program for active use in maintaining a city's wastewater system. In a sense, GIS is a "one-stop shop" approach to wastewater infrastructure management and the elimination of SSOs. The ability to consolidate all the features, attributes and interlaced networks of a wastewater system into a centralized program is a tremendous asset to the wastewater industry. More than just a digital mapping program, GIS is ulti- mately an asset-management system. With accurate data and increased operational awareness, munici- palities can respond, repair and report on SSOs more efficiently than ever before. Katie Shepherd is marketing director for Midland GIS Solutions; e-mail: shepherd@midlandgis.com. Phil Walsack is manager of Environmental Services, Missouri Public Utility Alliance; e-mail: pwalsack@mpua.org. ADVERTISERINDEX ADVERTISER Bentley Systems, Inc. www.bentley.com/map GeoSpatial Matters www.geoplace.com/GPM GeoWorld Reprints www.geoplace.com lA sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) in a residential neighborhood can be a public-relations nightmare. GeoWorld Subscriptions www.geoplace.com/subscribe PAGE 5 32 9 31 MARCH 2O12 / WWW . GEOPLA CE . C O M 21