Developing an Integrated Storm and Sanitary Drainage Information Management System
Vision:
To create a simple yet powerful storm and sanitary drainage information management system that integrates asset information, topography, land use, climate data, and advanced drainage analysis tools. This system will provide comprehensive insights into system performance, aiding in planning for new growth and intensification, as well as enhancing system operation and maintenance.
Background:
Traditional municipal and watershed drainage system management relied on rough topographic mapping, approximated asset information, lumped models, and limited cross-departmental data integration. This approach was used to assess existing system conditions and performance, informing decisions for maintenance, repairs, or expansion. Typically, documents from the Master Planning process were passive, used primarily for growth and asset planning, often requiring detailed site-specific studies for local impact analysis and design purposes.
The Opportunity:
With advancements in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), powerful computing, public-domain computational engines, rapid and accurate survey methods, cost-effective flow and environmental monitoring, and integrated methods, we can now envision ‘live’, dynamic systems that manage continuously updated data flows. This includes dashboards and accessible interfaces, enabling real-time management of drainage systems.
Integration and Innovation:
The proposed management system aims to integrate various data sources, including:
- GIS data (sewers, catch basins, manholes, leads, SWM, etc.)
- Drainage condition assessments (surveys, DEM, design, CCTV)
- Flow monitoring data (flow, rain, etc.)
- Historical flooding reports
By leveraging these powerful tools and methods, the system will provide detailed and accurate data for analysis, offering managers and users a clear understanding of system performance. This integration will support operational needs, raise service levels, and accommodate new growth in both greenfield and intensification areas.
Key Features of the Software Package:
- Integration of current geographic and asset information, reports, drawings, real-time and historical monitored flow data, climate data, GIS, asset management information, and drainage analysis tools.
- Automated methods for creating drainage system models (Micro Drainage).
- Surface flow analysis, including flow paths, street sags, and diversions.
- Sewer and culvert asset integration.
- Innovative uses for rain data in drainage analysis.
- Corrections to digital elevation model data using low-cost, rapid, land-based LiDAR surveys for surface drainage analysis.
Objective:
Our goal is to develop a municipal-wide drainage management system that enables city managers, technical managers, and operations staff to understand drainage patterns, evaluate system capacity, identify constraints, and plan for system improvements. This will be achieved through the integration of detailed, rapidly collected data and powerful, yet simple, analytical methods.
