Keeping a utility system running at high capacity is a major component of local government operations. Coordinating maintenance, capital improvement projects, and every day operations can be a challenging task that requires numerous man-hours to run effectively. Having an accurate spatial inventory of utility system components helps a community perform these operations more efficiently by providing a quick reference tool for checking the physical location of a feature and providing vital attribute information such as manhole depth or pipe diameter. To assist with a recent sanitary system cleaning effort, the Village of Winnetka Public Works Department requested that the GIS Department develop a series of maps to help the field crews gain a better understanding of the system before going out into the field.

Having the Village sanitary sewer assets in a GIS (Geographic Information System) system provides a spatial inventory of the system features that allowed the GIS Department to develop the requested cleaning sector maps quickly and efficiently. The alternative to developing these maps was to scan and print a series of old, hand drawn paper atlas maps, which were difficult to read and, in some cases, out-of-date. By using the more current, easier to read GIS-based maps, the field crews had a practical reference tool to use both in the office and in the field to determine the location of the pipes that needed cleaning and the extent of the area that needed work. The maps also provided pipe length and diameter information to give the crews a better idea of the types of pipes they would be working with, which saved resources and man-hours that may have otherwise been spent checking these attributes in the field.

Managing utility assets in a GIS system allows local governments to leverage their available hours and budget constraints to optimize their operations and potentially reduce costs. By providing a spatial format to review and reference utility features both in the office and in the field, the Village has a efficient mechanism for validating utility system information.