Dothan Utilities Wastewater Information Management System
The Challenge
Dothan Utilities’ existing wastewater information management system was underutilized, and critical updates were needed so that local wastewater programs could operate efficiently. The City asked Barge Design Solutions to develop a centralized and integrated system to track and report on historical work activities relative to the maintenance of the City’s wastewater assets. Barge Design Solutions’ system needed to integrate an enterprise geographic information system (GIS), work order, service requests and inspection system, and a closed-circuit television system. Custom tools were also requested to fill gaps where commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions did not meet regulatory requirements.
The Solution
Barge Design Solutions understood that complete integration with Dothan Utilities was key. The project team responded with upgraded GIS and enhanced user integration. An appropriate work order and inspection system was also selected on the City’s behalf with training and automated reports configured to suit staff’s needs. Barge Design Solutions integrated the three systems (GIS, Cityworks, and GraniteNet) to share information. Additionally, custom web and mobile applications were developed to meet the needs a COTS could not.
Results
The City’s wastewater information management system is an ongoing project. To date, the City has experienced increased efficiencies in all aspects of daily operations, such as customer interactions, maintenance operations, inspections, and engineering efforts.
The Barge Factor
Barge Design Solutions’ ongoing relationship navigating the City’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrative Order on Consent gave Dothan Utilities confidence in the project team to develop and implement an up-to-date wastewater information management system.