Spatial Data a Catch for Pierce County

In 2009, Pierce County Road Operations staff inspected drainage features. The inspections showed that a lack of field access to map data had left some catch basins in need of cleaning. To remedy this, the county staff increased assessments and cleanings. However, by 2010, the cost of assessing and cleaning peaked at $120 per catch basin. 

In 2013, seeking ways to increase efficiency, Road Operations staff replaced laptops and a manual database-reconcile process with iPads using Esri ArcGISSM Online. Staff deployed the Collector for ArcGIS app for fieldworkers and over a dozen operational dashboards for supervisors. Now, teams can access over 200,000 drainage features via ArcGIS Online.

“Supervisors can see locations of all work orders spatially, using appropriate work-task filters. They have total access from the office or field. Thanks to maps, apps, and dashboards, they can see up-to-date work order status—with pictures—and adjust schedules as work is completed.”    - Bryan Chappell, Water Quality Supervisor, Pierce County Public Works and Utilities, Road Operations Division

Achieve greater field efficiency by making your GIS accessible through online and offline mobile applications. By 2013, Pierce County’s cleaning and assessment costs associated with regulation compliance dropped to $60 per catch basin. Field teams complete more basins per day, at lower cost. Field GIS access saves costly travel time getting crews to the office, as staff no longer need to reconcile data manually each day. Over 35 Road Operations workers and supervisors access the mobile and dashboard GIS.