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GIS at North Bergen County Utilities Authority
Venkatesh Narasimhaiah
nvenkatesh@nobel-systems.com
Abstract
It takes a leap of faith for many Boards to jump onto the GIS Bandwagon. It takes forward thinking leadership to move favorably on a project that has no end and continually need updates and maintenance. For the health and longevity of GIS projects there needs to be numerous quick wins to demonstrate cost benefits. These need to be more than just charts showing man-hours saved, better decisions being made or number of maps created, they need to be tangible real-world solutions to problems that communities face.
North Bergen County Utilities Authority’s (“NBCUA”) located in the east coast of the US, use of GIS moved the Regional Sewer Authority from being reactive to problems to being proactive and finding solutions that helped prevent problems from happening. This presentation will provide an insight to the challenges faced by NBCUA prior implementation of an Enterprise GIS, with very limited budget and personnel and how Nobel Systems’ solution led to tremendous cost benefits, not only to NBCUA and its “Member” Municipalities, but also for the environment at large. Nobel Systems hosts the entire GIS data of the NBCUA on its secure web servers in California, providing an easy to use viewer, GeoViewer Online® for all staff and its member municipalities to use. In addition, Nobel Systems has linked NBCUA’s GIS to SCADA, Inspection Reports, Real Time Vehicle Location Tracking, Rapid access to asbuilt record drawing scans, etc.
1. Introduction
The NBCUA maintains a system of gravity and force mains to transmit raw sewage collected in local sewer systems to a regional sewer plant for treatment. This collection system utilizes 33 miles of Sewer Interceptor Mains with 18 Metering Chambers, 4 Pump Stations and 1 Treatment Plant that serves a number of municipalities in Bergen County, New Jersey including: Waldwick, Wyckoff, Midland Park, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Ho-Ho-Kus, Mahwah, Franklin Lakes, Ramsey, Allendale and a portion of Ridgewood. The total service area is approximately 70 square miles.
The NBCUA knew that GIS is essential to improve the management of its infrastructure through the development of a GIS database of sewer facilities to be integrated with various internal business operations for this project be compatible with GIS data developed and maintained by Bergen County’s GIS Office and with those maintained by any local municipalities of utility authorities.
The NBCUA maintained records of its sewer facilities in digital (scanned images) and hard copy formats in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Sewer system as-built records consisted of scanned image files at various scales that depicted the plan view and corresponding profile of the sewer system. Every manhole in the NBCUA sewer system had unique facility ID which was noted on the as-built drawings. The NBCUA had been actively collecting detailed information on manholes and pumps in the field using GPS receivers and data collectors. The information collected via GPS was maintained in a series of MS Excel spreadsheets. The County also provides links to the tax records which include parcel owner name and address, as well as lot and block identification of the property. All this was to be brought into a GIS system.
The NBCUA of New Jersey, Bergen County contracted with Nobel Systems in 2005 to perform GIS conversion of the Authority Sewer Collection System. Nobel helped NBCUA plan the Data Model and with the GIS implementation in a phased manner. A Data Model was designed using UML to capture all sanitary sewer services as separate featureclasses, ensuring that no information is lost. GIS data thus developed was linked with other information such as digital scanned images of the sewer facilities and other assets. Data was distributed to NBCUA staff on a web-based environment, which was further expanded to other member municipalities, also.
Key Objectives –
The final deliverables were Atlases and a GeoDatabase containing all sewer system relevant information.
Nobel then proposed hosting the data on GeoViewer Online – So that NBCUA can remotely access all the infrastructure data 24/7. This approach was selected as a cost effective method to implement a GIS system while eliminating the need for investment in additional computer facilities and manpower to establish and maintain the system. Most importantly, GeoViewer allow users to effectively use the GIS without extensive training. Nobel along with providing NBCUA with an IMS service, also added various State/County (bodies of water, wetlands and flood plains, etc) layers to help NBCUA staff with data analysis, as information is key to growth. These datasets were very useful not only for compliance purposes but for seeing the natural and national resources that can be tapped into by NBCUA from time to time. Nobel also integrated external datasets and data services on to the system.
NBCUA was also interested in using GIS system for document management, for improvising its search mechanisms and analysis. Nobel linked all drawings, manuals and documents/files, including videos/photographs, with the assets, so that NBCUA could have access to information in the manuals and in the videos on the GIS through internet. These days NBCUA has trained field crew who understand the use of:
GeoViewer Online Key Functionalities –
The GIS program included a number of highly useful features. The program allows the user to search for an asset using the property owner’s name or address, the parcel block and lot number and/or facility specific information such as manhole or flow meter identification number. The 24/7 on-line availability of information permitted immediate response to an emergency, eliminating the need to search records for contact information and for reference drawings.
Conclusion –
As a result of the GIS program, NBCUA has an on-line GIS with links to Drawings, Reports, etc. The system is successfully serving member municipalities, in addition to the NBCUA facilities. Access to each municipality’s data is password protected and can be accessed from any location at any time. With the GIS in place, it is only going to evolve more and be connected with other departments, other systems, other datasets, other agencies thus bringing every entity closer.
Contributors / Co-Authors – Mr. Michael Samuel, President, Nobel Systems, USA
Mr. Shil Niyogi, Business Manager, Nobel Systems, USA
Venkatesh Narasimhaiah
nvenkatesh@nobel-systems.com
Abstract
It takes a leap of faith for many Boards to jump onto the GIS Bandwagon. It takes forward thinking leadership to move favorably on a project that has no end and continually need updates and maintenance. For the health and longevity of GIS projects there needs to be numerous quick wins to demonstrate cost benefits. These need to be more than just charts showing man-hours saved, better decisions being made or number of maps created, they need to be tangible real-world solutions to problems that communities face.
North Bergen County Utilities Authority’s (“NBCUA”) located in the east coast of the US, use of GIS moved the Regional Sewer Authority from being reactive to problems to being proactive and finding solutions that helped prevent problems from happening. This presentation will provide an insight to the challenges faced by NBCUA prior implementation of an Enterprise GIS, with very limited budget and personnel and how Nobel Systems’ solution led to tremendous cost benefits, not only to NBCUA and its “Member” Municipalities, but also for the environment at large. Nobel Systems hosts the entire GIS data of the NBCUA on its secure web servers in California, providing an easy to use viewer, GeoViewer Online® for all staff and its member municipalities to use. In addition, Nobel Systems has linked NBCUA’s GIS to SCADA, Inspection Reports, Real Time Vehicle Location Tracking, Rapid access to asbuilt record drawing scans, etc.
1. Introduction
The NBCUA maintains a system of gravity and force mains to transmit raw sewage collected in local sewer systems to a regional sewer plant for treatment. This collection system utilizes 33 miles of Sewer Interceptor Mains with 18 Metering Chambers, 4 Pump Stations and 1 Treatment Plant that serves a number of municipalities in Bergen County, New Jersey including: Waldwick, Wyckoff, Midland Park, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Ho-Ho-Kus, Mahwah, Franklin Lakes, Ramsey, Allendale and a portion of Ridgewood. The total service area is approximately 70 square miles.
The NBCUA knew that GIS is essential to improve the management of its infrastructure through the development of a GIS database of sewer facilities to be integrated with various internal business operations for this project be compatible with GIS data developed and maintained by Bergen County’s GIS Office and with those maintained by any local municipalities of utility authorities.
The NBCUA maintained records of its sewer facilities in digital (scanned images) and hard copy formats in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Sewer system as-built records consisted of scanned image files at various scales that depicted the plan view and corresponding profile of the sewer system. Every manhole in the NBCUA sewer system had unique facility ID which was noted on the as-built drawings. The NBCUA had been actively collecting detailed information on manholes and pumps in the field using GPS receivers and data collectors. The information collected via GPS was maintained in a series of MS Excel spreadsheets. The County also provides links to the tax records which include parcel owner name and address, as well as lot and block identification of the property. All this was to be brought into a GIS system.
The NBCUA of New Jersey, Bergen County contracted with Nobel Systems in 2005 to perform GIS conversion of the Authority Sewer Collection System. Nobel helped NBCUA plan the Data Model and with the GIS implementation in a phased manner. A Data Model was designed using UML to capture all sanitary sewer services as separate featureclasses, ensuring that no information is lost. GIS data thus developed was linked with other information such as digital scanned images of the sewer facilities and other assets. Data was distributed to NBCUA staff on a web-based environment, which was further expanded to other member municipalities, also.
Key Objectives –
- Have GIS help in managing the assets and also lead them into the best practices in the future of GIS is just the beginning of an enterprise wide integrated effort
- Develop Map of NBCUA Collection System and Locate Specific Assets
- Provide Means to Search for and Locate Assets, Property Owners, etc.
- Provide for Electronic Storage and Retrieval of System Drawings
- Provide Rapid Access to As-built Drawings
- Link Inspection and Maintenance Reports to Specific Assets
- Go Enterprise wide
- Identify and Record Location and Description of Assets
- Link Assets to GIS System to Allow Ready Access to User
- Expand System to Include Member Municipalities
- Manhole Number and Coordinates
- Manhole Type, Rim Elevation, Depth
- Pipeline Size and Material
- Gravity or Force Main
- House Connections
- Meter Chambers
- Pump Stations
- Cleanouts
The final deliverables were Atlases and a GeoDatabase containing all sewer system relevant information.
Nobel then proposed hosting the data on GeoViewer Online – So that NBCUA can remotely access all the infrastructure data 24/7. This approach was selected as a cost effective method to implement a GIS system while eliminating the need for investment in additional computer facilities and manpower to establish and maintain the system. Most importantly, GeoViewer allow users to effectively use the GIS without extensive training. Nobel along with providing NBCUA with an IMS service, also added various State/County (bodies of water, wetlands and flood plains, etc) layers to help NBCUA staff with data analysis, as information is key to growth. These datasets were very useful not only for compliance purposes but for seeing the natural and national resources that can be tapped into by NBCUA from time to time. Nobel also integrated external datasets and data services on to the system.
NBCUA was also interested in using GIS system for document management, for improvising its search mechanisms and analysis. Nobel linked all drawings, manuals and documents/files, including videos/photographs, with the assets, so that NBCUA could have access to information in the manuals and in the videos on the GIS through internet. These days NBCUA has trained field crew who understand the use of:
- Includes Date of Inspection
- Includes Photograph(s) of Manhole or other facility
- Includes Observations
GeoViewer Online Key Functionalities –
- Simplified Layer Structure
- Multiple Map Server Integration
- Scanned Image Linking
- Sewer Tracing
- Mailing Label Creation
- Data Exporting to Excel
- Creating "Pocket Maps" for Field Crew
- Powerful Search Tools
- External Data Linking
- Manhole Inspection Report Linking
The GIS program included a number of highly useful features. The program allows the user to search for an asset using the property owner’s name or address, the parcel block and lot number and/or facility specific information such as manhole or flow meter identification number. The 24/7 on-line availability of information permitted immediate response to an emergency, eliminating the need to search records for contact information and for reference drawings.
Conclusion –
As a result of the GIS program, NBCUA has an on-line GIS with links to Drawings, Reports, etc. The system is successfully serving member municipalities, in addition to the NBCUA facilities. Access to each municipality’s data is password protected and can be accessed from any location at any time. With the GIS in place, it is only going to evolve more and be connected with other departments, other systems, other datasets, other agencies thus bringing every entity closer.
Contributors / Co-Authors – Mr. Michael Samuel, President, Nobel Systems, USA
Mr. Shil Niyogi, Business Manager, Nobel Systems, USA