GIS-centric technology improves stormwater infrastructure management

Digital technologies are redefining enterprise asset management, delivering efficiency and productivity improvements at every phase of the asset lifecycle — from design, permitting and construction to operations, maintenance and replacement. 

Information and insights provided by centralized data and connected workflows will improve operations from the office to the field. Leveraging authoritative GIS data will advance capabilities related to network and work management, risk assessment, work order oversight, and asset inspections. Digitally driven systems help eliminate data silos and communication gaps, improve reporting, and increase asset sustainability. They also support data-driven decision-making that saves time and money and enables seamless interactions with customers and stakeholders.

A strong case for GIS-centric solutions

The City of Carmel, Indiana, is embracing digital transformation and revolutionizing its public works infrastructure management efforts with the help of leading-edge GIS-centric digital technologies.

With a rapidly growing population of about 100,000 residents, the suburban Indianapolis community is tracking, managing and maintaining numerous assets. Committed to sustainable development and innovative solutions that address the needs of its residents, the city selected Trimble Cityworks (which powers Trimble Unity Permit) as its GIS-centric enterprise asset management solution. The Trimble solution is integrated with Esri’s ArcGIS. Carmel currently uses the integrated solutions with ten divisions, called “domains” by city officials, with plans for expansion in the near future.

Before implementing the GIS-centric asset management system, public works officials did not have a firm grasp of the status of assets. According to city officials, crews spent time and resources on assets that did not need work while neglecting assets with significant challenges. Data silos were also a problem, with departments unaware of what each was working on or why.

Carmel’s wastewater domain was the first to implement digital solutions. Carmel manages more than 600 miles of aging stormwater piping and more than 20,000 drainage structures, all while maintenance costs are rising. Additionally, as regulations in the federal Clean Water Act regularly increase demands for cleaner water, costs to adhere to growing requirements also escalate. 

Carmel’s adoption of an asset management process within its wastewater domain spanned approximately 18 months. The effort included documenting all workflows, building permits, planning applications and right-of-way permits, engineering processes and budget review processes. Many of those systems had not been reviewed or assessed for nearly three decades.

Now, with up-to-date asset assessments and data-driven asset management processes, the city can stay on top of asset management workflows with efficiency, saving time and money while fostering sustainable community development. The digital approach has helped Carmel boost productivity, strengthen asset resilience, manage complexity, reduce delays and cost overruns, and enhance safety and quality.

Views from above that go beyond

Today, more and more permitting and asset management work is done remotely. Remotely sensed imagery replaces people collecting and monitoring assets on the ground, boosting operational efficiencies by reducing the required time and resources. Integrating aerial imagery and artificial intelligence with robust asset management solutions has been game-changing for Carmel.

Carmel partnered with Nearmap, an Australia-based aerial imaging company, to provide frequently updated imagery that can be managed remotely. Imagery is collected periodically to ensure the fast-growing community’s data sets are current. At present, vertical aerial data is collected twice a year, providing high-resolution, top-down imagery along with four-way panorama views. In addition, multi-perspective oblique views are collected annually for immersive 3D visualization. The aerial data is combined with artificial intelligence capabilities to extract GIS information across all capture areas. As a result, Carmel has sophisticated capabilities to manage its community and track its growth remotely.

The high-resolution imagery integrates with Trimble solutions and Esri’s ArcGIS, giving the city a comprehensive and up-to-date view of its stormwater infrastructure. The imagery is delivered in the Web Map Service format, the standard protocol developed by the Open Geospatial Consortium in 1999 to provide georeferenced map images over the Internet without downloading all the data. This enables aerial data to be viewed directly with ArcGIS software and within the Trimble Cityworks enterprise asset management system.

These integrated solutions provide access to up-to-date visuals that drive informed decision-making and deliver powerful insights that support effective infrastructure planning to better address the community’s needs.

Solutions that save dollars and make sense

One fundamental benefit the city of Carmel enjoys from deploying innovative asset management technology is the ability to create a system of record where stormwater billing data is continuously stored and updated. This information helps save time, streamline resources and ensure accurate billing.

A stormwater billing program was launched in 2014 to help allocate funding for essential infrastructure projects, including city drainage projects, storm sewer maintenance and storm sewer construction. Service fees collected from residential and commercial property owners generate more than $3.8 million in annual revenue, helping fund public asset development and asset management to ensure adequate infrastructure to accommodate future needs.

Carmel’s GIS-centric asset lifecycle management approach has also delivered positive results in the field. Better intelligence and data-driven decision-making have drastically reduced the number of sewer backup issues. A couple of years into the asset management renovation, a series of heat maps were created to show the frequency of backup occurrences. These heatmaps were referenced against maps for project maintenance efforts. With this information, it was readily apparent that work was incorrectly allocated. Teams were cleaning new sewer pipes and neglecting the older assets that had failing systems. More accurate data led to better resource allocation and better results.

Additionally, GIS-centric asset lifecycle management technologies have streamlined workflows and communication with key stakeholders. Data shared with key decision-makers is integrated with ArcGIS through dashboards as well as with Trimble Cityworks safe searches and SAP Crystal Reports. The data is incorporated into daily, weekly and monthly reports for internal stakeholders and external constituents. This has resulted in more transparent reporting, improved collaboration, sustainable development practices and effective customer communications.

The city of Carmel's commitment to innovation and sustainable development sets an example for other communities facing similar challenges. By effectively managing stormwater infrastructure, Carmel is ensuring its residents' safety and well-being and creating a more resilient and environmentally conscious community.