Challenge
A regional council, responsible for the water supply of a regional town in New South Wales, faced a common challenge among regional water utilities: a lack of accurate and up-to-date spatial data for their water network assets.
Relying on outdated maps and records hindered their ability to efficiently plan maintenance, respond to emergencies, and manage their assets effectively.
This deficiency in asset intelligence often leads to costly delays, operational inefficiencies, and a greater risk of damaging buried infrastructure. The council required a solution to accurately map their critical assets to enhance their GIS and support better long-term asset management.
Solution
Aqua Analytics was engaged to provide a comprehensive GIS consulting project that required field work and geospatial expertise to build an updated model of the water network.
Our solution was designed to provide a highly accurate, digital map of critical water assets, enabling the council to optimise its operations, improve asset management, and enhance its overall network intelligence. The scope of work involved all field services and GIS development works using our internal geospatial specialists.
- High-Accuracy GPS Survey: Aqua Analytics' team utilised a high-accuracy GPS receiver equipped with Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) technology. This advanced equipment allowed for the collection of asset coordinates with centimeter-level accuracy (2.5 cm), far surpassing the precision of traditional GPS methods.
- Targeted Asset Collection: Over a period of less than one week, our team meticulously surveyed approximately 50 kilometers of water mains. During this process, 543 GPS coordinates were collected for key assets, including hydrants, valves, and other critical infrastructure.
- Asset Discovery: Beyond the primary scope, the survey also identified previously unrecorded asset types, such as air valves and possible ferrule valves, further enriching the council's asset data.
- Data Deliverables: The project concluded with the delivery of a comprehensive data package, including both a shapefile and a CSV file of all surveyed points, as well as PDF plans illustrating the new data on a map for easy reference.
Project Outcomes
- Enhanced GIS Accuracy: The council received a highly accurate GIS of their water network, with 99% of the surveyed points having a 2.5 cm accuracy. This precision will be invaluable for future excavation and maintenance planning.
- Improved Asset Intelligence: The project resulted in a comprehensive and up-to-date digital inventory of key assets, including previously unrecorded infrastructure, providing a single source of truth for the council's asset management.
- Operational Efficiency: With accurate GIS data, the council is now better equipped to plan repairs, respond to emergencies, and manage its water network more efficiently.
Conclusion
Aqua Analytics’ GIS enhancement survey delivered foundational data crucial for modern water network management, transforming outdated records into a precise digital map.
By leveraging high-accuracy RTK GPS technology, we provided a regional council with centimeter-level accuracy for over 500 assets, including water mains, hydrants, and valves. This precise GIS data empowers the utility to make data-driven decisions, which is essential for optimising maintenance schedules, reducing operational costs, and improving emergency response.
The project highlights the critical value of a comprehensive GIS for water supply networks and demonstrates how accurate asset mapping can significantly boost the long-term sustainability and operational efficiency of regional water utility assets.
As the client prepares to launch future smart water and water loss management projects, this foundational dataset will be instrumental in generating more accurate insights and driving successful deliverables.
