GIS Applications for Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Systems - Chapter 6 ppt

CHAPTER 6 Internet Applications Internet-based mapping applications are changing the way people use and manage geographic information for their water, wastewater, and stormwater systems.

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CHAPTER 6 Internet Applications

Internet-based mapping applications are changing the way people use and manage geographic information for their water, wastewater, and stormwater systems.

Johnson County (Kansas) Web-based wastewater mapping application.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVE

The learning objective of this chapter is to familiarize ourselves with the applications

of Internet technology in GIS for the water industry

MAJOR TOPICS

• Internet GIS applications

• Internet GIS software

• Internet GIS case studies

LIST OF CHAPTER ACRONYMS

AM/FM/GIS Automated Mapping/Facilities Management/Geographic Information System

DXF Drawing Exchange Format

PDA Personal Digital Assistant

RDBMS Relational Database Management System

WWW World Wide Web

DUBLIN’S WEB MAP

One of the fastest growing communities in the Midwest, Dublin’s 22 mi2 area

is home to about 30,000 people and 2,500 businesses The city received the year

2000 Best Practices Award from the Ohio Geographically Referenced Information Program, a state agency responsible for educating local government about GIS technology The city is constantly enhancing its GIS capabilities and serves as a model medium-sized municipal GIS for the state This application was developed after City personnel started to realize that retrieving data from hard-copy records was inefficient because it reduced staff time to perform engineering review and analysis The city needed an automated system that could recall, evaluate, and reproduce data more quickly The City implemented a Web-based GIS data server using Autodesk’s (San Rafael, California) Web-based MapGuide technology

Application Web-based mapping GIS software AutoCAD, AutoCAD Map, and MapGuide GIS data 1-m, natural color, orthorectified, precision pan-sharpened imagery of

the entire city from Space Imaging (Thornton, Colorado) and vector layers for school districts, corporate limits, county boundaries, subdivisions, streets, parcels, and water (mains and hydrants), stormwater (sewers, structures, and streams), and sanitary sewer (sewers and manholes) systems

Study area Dublin, Ohio

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(Cerasini and Herskowitz, 2001) Figure 6.1 shows a screenshot of Dublin’s Internet GIS Web site

In addition to serving the development department, Dublin’s GIS serves all other city departments and divisions, with data distributed to more than 200 users Dublin’s GIS Web site (gis.dublin.oh.us) provides quick access to utility data for maintenance, planning, and emergency response activities The users range from planning and engineering professionals to grounds maintenance staff A major challenge for any GIS is deciding who will maintain the data and how Dublin’s management structure encourages departments and divisions to exchange information freely, allowing departments to maintain their own data within the enterprise framework while feeding the GIS Such an approach benefits everyone

In 2001, the City started to implement GIS based asset management systems for the water, wastewater, and stormwater systems Dublin also moved much of the GIS mapping and city assets to a mobile environment with wireless technology and GPS

to allow data products to be distributed to a mobile workforce with personal digital assistants (PDAs) and wireless notebooks The future is expected to bring even more integration between traditional municipal applications and GIS because the City also plans to integrate other applications, including work orders, asset management, crime analysis, public safety, and emergency dispatch

Determining how much money Internet GIS technology is saving the City of Dublin

is difficult to assess However, the City feels that in most cases the time and effort required

to respond to utility data requests have decreased from several hours to minutes, which translates to increased staff productivity and enhanced responsiveness to customers.

This chapter provides information on the GIS applications for serving water, wastewater, and stormwater system maps on the Internet

Figure 6.1 Screenshot of Dublin (Ohio) Internet GIS Web Site.

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INTERNET GIS

The Internet is the place where an increasing number of people are going for their mapping needs In fact, the word map is one of the most commonly searched keywords on the Web (ESRI, 2002)

Imagine going to a GIS Web site, zooming to a piece of property, defining the building footprint, and displaying various cut and fill configurations You could then simulate a 10-year, 24-hour design storm to model where the runoff will go and how you would control

it to meet the local stormwater management ordinance.

The Internet is the fastest growing and most efficient technology for distributing GIS data to the public The Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW or Web) are simplifying how the maps are created and maintained The Internet is facilitating GIS data sharing between different organizations Intranets are making it easy to share GIS data between coworkers of the same organization Until the mid-1990s spatial information was generally distributed via the Internet as static map images

In the late 1990s dynamic GIS Web pages started allowing the public to interactively display and query GIS databases, using what is now referred to as Internet GIS technology (Wild and Holm, 1998)

Web browsers now provide both experts and novices with a common, powerful, inexpensive, and intuitive interface for accessing a GIS Because casual public users can now access GISs through Web browsers, the water industry GIS staff is free to spend more time on improving the database for providing better customer service (Irrinki, 2000) Many large utilities are now using the Internet and GIS to improve the operation and management of their water and sewer systems They are using Internet and GIS-based work order management and customer service software to accomplish this

of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, created using ESRI’s ArcIMS software The tools shown

at the top of the screen can be used to navigate (pan, zoom, etc.) and query the maps Users can also apply the measure tool to determine distance and area from the map The right side of the screen helps the users select the active layer for analysis (e.g., query) and turn it on (visible) or off (invisible) The bottom of the screen shows the query results

Cincinnati Water Works reported a $2-million cost savings in the first year of using Internet GIS (Anderson, 2000).

GIS and enterprise database management systems can be combined to create geospatial data warehouses For example, using the power of Oracle’s spatial exten-sions, a data mining software (e.g., KnowledgeMiner from SpatialAge Solutions, Atlanta, Georgia, www.byers.com) can mine a network inventory model from an automated mapping/facilities management/geographic information system (AM/FM/GIS) and make it readily available to the enterprise using the Web The object 2097_C006.fm Page 122 Monday, December 6, 2004 6:02 PM

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relational database management system (RDBMS) spatial extensions, such as Oracle Spatial, facilitate linking data warehouses with GIS software packages RDBMS is especially well suited for Internet and intranet data sharing A data mining application can translate Internet requests into RDBMS queries and send RDBMS responses back

to the Internet as Web pages Utilities that rely on large and complex spatial data sets could greatly benefit from the recent fusion of object RDBMS and Internet technolo-gies (Lowe, 2000a)

Internet Security

Security issues and concerns should be evaluated when posting GIS maps on the Internet Precautions need to be taken to assure application security and data integrity (Miller et al., 2004) Appropriate security measures such as firewalls, data backups, user authentication, and password access can be used to reduce the chances

of security breaches by hackers to harm the GIS data or corrupt the application software Sensitive information that could help terrorists should not be posted or should be restricted to authorized users only According to a Rand Corporation

federal Web sites and databases in the U.S contain geospatial information that could

Figure 6.2 Screenshot of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania ArcIMS Web site.

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help terrorists and other hostile forces mount attacks in the U.S (Geospatial Solu-tions, 2004) In the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S., many Internet GIS sites were removed Others began restricting public access to some of their sensitive information through the Internet

INTERNET GIS SOFTWARE

Internet GIS uses a client/server architecture Therefore two types of software are required to Web-enable a GIS: client-side and server-side (Shamsi, 2003) Client-side software is very easy to use but does not provide data creation or editing capability It is usually available for free Examples include:

• ArcExplorer, ESRI

• GeoMedia Viewer, Intergraph

• MapGuide Viewer, Autodesk

Server-side software, accessible through browsers, makes GIS usable over the Web Based on the capabilities, the cost ranges from $5,000 to $25,000 Examples include:

• ArcIMS, ESRI

• GeoMedia Web Map, Intergraph

• MapGuide, Autodesk

• MapXtreme, MapInfo

INTERNET GIS APPLICATIONS

Representative applications of Internet GIS technology are described in the following subsections

Data Integration

Imagine an organization with watershed data in ESRI Shapefiles, parcel data in

an Oracle Universal Data Server with Spatial Cartridge, and water main data in an AutoCAD file Imagine further that different data are stored on different network drives in different projections Software is now available to integrate different data formats and convert them into a common projection system on the fly Intergraph’s GeoMedia Web Map is an example of such a software (Lowe, 2000)

Project Management

A project Web site promotes collaboration and efficient completion of utility construction or rehabilitation projects by providing all involved parties instant access

to current information and allowing them to disseminate information automatically and immediately A Web site also eliminates software and hardware compatibility problems among project team organizations Redline (edit) capability can be added

to a project Web site to expedite the design review process (Irrinki, 2000)

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These possibilities are the result of a new generation of software from the leading GIS and CAD software companies For example, in addition to the traditional CAD work, Autodesk’s AutoCAD 2000i enables users to collaborate with design profes-sionals anywhere in the world and move the designs and processes to their companies’ intranets and the Web Similarly, Intergraph’s GeoMedia, in conjunction with Oracle Spatial, enables all the users to see the latest engineering project information against the base-map images The various projects are represented as polygons overlayed on the base-map image A user can simply click on one of the project polygons to obtain the most recent information about that project After a project has been completed, the engineering information (including redlines) is used to update the spatial data stored in Oracle Spatial This approach was successfully implemented by the Public Works Department of the City of Minneapolis The City used GeoMedia and an Oracle Spatial data warehouse to provide future users the most current information about the city’s infrastructure (Murphy, 2000) Figure 6.3 shows a project portal designed using this approach for a wastewater improvement project for the Borough of California (Pennsylvania), createdby Chester Engineers, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Figure 6.3 Screenshot of the Borough of California (Pennsylvania) project portal.

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3D Visualization Applications

Internet GIS applications can also provide 3D visualization capability that converts 2D aerial photographs and satellite images into 3D terrain The 3D terrain can be used

as a base map for draping other information such as realistically textured buildings For example, Skyline Software Systems’ (www.skylinesoft.com) TerraExplorer pro-vides realistic, interactive, photo-based, 3D maps of many locations and cities of the world on the Internet Skyline’s Internet technology enables creation, delivery, and interaction with content-rich, 3D geographic environments Skyline enhances the Web experience for a variety of location-specific applications such as travel and tourism, real estate, entertainment, mapping, tracking, planning, and engineering Standard CAD or GIS data layers such as DXF or Shapefiles can be easily incorporated to create dramatic 3D movies Such Internet-based mapping applications are designed for a layperson and do not require GIS expertise

CASE STUDIES

Two case studies illustrating the application of Internet GIS technology are described in the following subsections

Tacoma’s Intranet and Mobile GIS

Tacoma Water, a division of Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) located in the state

of Washington, serves 146,000 customers in the city of Tacoma’s 52 mi2 area and surrounding parts of Pierce and King counties Tired of flipping through outdated map books and clumsy blueprints to locate water and sewer lines, Tacoma Water implemented intranet and wireless GIS applications

Because of their familiarity with CAD, which was used in their engineering projects, Tacoma Water began a $750,000 multiyear project in 1990 to create CAD-based digital base maps and facility layers The base map consisted of digital orthophotos and planimetric layers, such as building footprints, pavement edges, rights-of-way, lots and blocks, and easements, in a CAD format Data conversion was completed in 1997 producing 6.5 GB of data with a horizontal accuracy of

6 in Initially these data were distributed on CD-ROMs In 1998, Tacoma Water

Application Intranet and Wireless GIS

GIS software AutoCAD, AutoCAD Map, MapGuide, and GE Smallworld

Other software Microsoft Access and SQL Server databases

Hardware Laptop computers from Dell Computer Corp and Gateway, Inc., 14.4K

CDPD wireless PC card modems from Sierra Wireless GIS data Black and white orthophotos and planimetric base map layers from

Bentley ADR, 3-ft and 6-ft color digital orthophotos from Triathlon, Inc Study area Tacoma, Washington

Organization Tacoma Public Utilities and Tacoma Water

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implemented an intranet GIS using Autodesk’s intranet and Internet software suite consisting of AutoCAD, AutoCAD Map, and MapGuide for an initial investment

of $12,000 Using these packages, they integrated their CAD data in a GIS and hosted it on a central server from where it was accessible to any computer using

a standard Internet browser The intranet GIS enabled the users to query the map features by simply placing the mouse cursor over that feature By putting the cursor over a valve, for instance, the user will see a pop-up window showing the size, type, and number of turns required to open or close the valve

According to Tacoma Public Utilities, “Having multiple layers of information available

on mobile computing devices is like a holy grail to the water field crews.”

In order to provide the available intranet GIS data to crews in the field, Tacoma Water implemented a wireless GIS in 1999 Consisting of off-the-shelf laptop com-puters and wireless modems, the truck-mounted wireless GIS was initially used by

18 field crews The cost of unlimited wireless airtime was $50 per month The mobility allowed by such a system puts field crews light years ahead of the time when finding a water main meant rummaging through a map book or reading microfiche (Teo, 2001)

Montana’s Watershed Data Information Management System

Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is responsible for devel-oping integrated water, air, waste management, and energy plans to protect Montana's environmental resources To comply with the Montana Water Quality Act and the Federal Clean Water Act, an ArcView-based watershed data management system called MontanaView was developed in 2000 The system was designed to meet the specific information management needs of the state of Montana, focusing on water resource management issues The project goals were: (1) integrating extensive and diverse data into one system, covering demographic, land-use and land-cover, infra-structure environmental, and natural resource information and (2) orienting programs and organizations around watersheds as the primary unit for assessing and managing resources

These goals were accomplished by developing MontanaView, a PC-based appli-cation that runs under Windows operating systems, and linked to distributed data-bases over the Internet The system provided online access to U.S EPA mainframe databases and United States Geological Survey (USGS) real time and historical stream-flow data For example, it provided access to EPA’s national water quality database, STORET, to identify water quality monitoring stations that met user-defined requirements for selected parameters It could then go to the Montana USGS Internet site (montana.usgs.gov) and import stream-flow data for the user-specified

Application GIS-based watershed data management system GIS software ArcView

Organization Montana Department of Environmental Quality

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station The maps generated by MontanaView proved to be excellent visual aids during public meetings (Samuels et al., 2000)

USEFUL WEB SITES

CHAPTER SUMMARY

This chapter provided information on the GIS applications for serving water, wastewater, and stormwater system maps on the Internet The Internet is the fastest growing and most efficient technology for distributing GIS data Internet-based mapping applications are changing the way people use and manage geographic information in the water industry The Internet can be used to both obtain and distribute GIS data Two types of software are required for creating Internet GIS Web sites: client-side software and server-side software Many cities and counties

in the U.S have developed Internet GIS sites for sharing their GIS data and maps

CHAPTER QUESTIONS

1 What is Internet GIS?

2 What are the applications of Internet GIS technology?

3 What kind of software is required for developing Internet GIS applications?

4 Search the Internet to describe three Internet GIS Web sites that provide water, wastewater, and stormwater system maps on the Internet.

Dublin, Ohio, Internet GIS Web site gis.dublin.oh.us

Johnson County, Kansas, Internet GIS

Web site

aims.jocogov.org Town of Blacksburg, Virginia, Internet GIS

Web site

arcims2.webgis.net/blacksburg/default.asp

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