Implementing Advanced GIS for Water and Wastewater Management in Augusta County

The Augusta County Service Authority (ACSA), serving communities across Virginia’s central Shenandoah Valley, faced mounting challenges in managing its expanding water and wastewater infrastructure. Covering nearly 1,000 square miles and supporting approximately 12,000 customers, the authority had outgrown its legacy mapping practices.

For years, system knowledge relied heavily on scattered CADD drawings, paper records, and the institutional memory of staff. According to project engineer Troy Austin, locating underground utilities was often uncertain, with inconsistent documentation and limited reliability. As the service area continued to grow, this fragmented approach no longer supported efficient maintenance, planning, or customer service.

To address these shortcomings, ACSA committed to deploying a comprehensive geographic information system (GIS) to centrally manage its water and wastewater assets.

Designing a Robust GIS Framework

Like many local government utilities, ACSA previously depended on computer-aided drafting files and manual records to track infrastructure. Although water modeling software was already in place, it lacked the spatial depth and integrated data necessary for broader operational management.

To build a scalable and resilient system, ACSA partnered with GeoDecisions, an ESRI business partner with statewide GIS implementation experience. The firm was tasked with creating a customized data model, integrating disparate datasets, and developing applications tailored to the authority’s operational needs.

Maintaining network connectivity and ensuring data integrity were central priorities. The solution was built using ArcGIS and the Geodatabase framework. The underlying design drew from ESRI’s established water and wastewater data model but was refined collaboratively to reflect ACSA’s actual infrastructure conditions.

The resulting system provided a structured representation of pipelines, valves, meters, tanks, pumps, and other components, enabling more reliable asset tracking and faster updates.

Data Development and Migration

After finalizing the Geodatabase schema, GeoDecisions and ACSA undertook a comprehensive data conversion effort. Existing layers were revised, and new spatial datasets were created using global positioning system (GPS) technology combined with as-built utility drawings.

Field crews captured key point features—such as meters, tanks, pumps, and manholes—via GPS, then imported them into the centralized database. Historical drawings were scanned and georeferenced within ArcMap 8.1 to accurately position water and wastewater mains. These digitized documents also served to populate and verify attribute information for network features.

Beyond data compilation, ACSA required a user-friendly interface for maintaining the system. A customized water and sewer maintenance application was therefore developed within ArcMap 8.1 using ArcObjects and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). The application introduced standardized forms that allowed staff to edit and update feature attributes interactively.

When new infrastructure elements were added to the geometric network, the application automatically triggered the relevant data entry interface. Default values were applied based on Geodatabase rules, while users could immediately input additional attribute details. This automation ensured consistency and minimized data entry errors.

Integrating GIS with Billing Operations

Once spatial data migration was complete, attention shifted to linking the GIS with ACSA’s non-spatial systems. The authority relied on a mainframe-based billing database to manage customer meter records. To streamline access to billing information within a spatial context, a custom billing application was created.

This integration connected water meter locations stored in the Geodatabase with current and historical billing records. Staff could retrieve account histories, filter meters based on defined criteria, and perform analytical calculations. Built-in graphing functions enabled visual analysis of billing trends and consumption patterns, enhancing both operational insight and customer service responsiveness.

Supporting Legacy Water Modeling Software

ACSA also needed to ensure compatibility between the new GIS environment and its established hydraulic modeling software, H2ONET Analyzer by MWH Soft, Inc. The modeling platform, built on an AutoCAD framework, required data structures that differed significantly from standard GIS formats.

For example, valves typically stored as point features in GIS had to be represented as line segments within H2ONET. To resolve these structural discrepancies, GeoDecisions developed a custom export utility within ArcGIS 8.1 using ArcObjects and VBA. The tool transformed Geodatabase features into shapefiles formatted specifically for direct import into H2ONET.

Attribute fields were converted and populated according to the modeling software’s requirements. This ensured seamless interoperability, allowing ACSA to continue using its analytical tools without sacrificing the benefits of the new GIS architecture.

Phased Implementation and Future Expansion

At the time of reporting, the ArcGIS and Geodatabase solution had been deployed in one service area, with full county-wide implementation projected within three to four years. From both engineering and customer service perspectives, ACSA anticipated substantial improvements in response times and infrastructure management.

Looking ahead, the authority is evaluating migration from a personal Geodatabase to an enterprise-level ArcSDE environment to support multi-user access and greater scalability. Additionally, ACSA is exploring options for publishing GIS resources online to provide internal staff—and potentially the public—with broader access to spatial data.

Through this modernization initiative, ACSA has transitioned from memory-based utility tracking to a fully integrated geospatial management system. By combining ArcGIS, customized applications, billing integration, and modeling interoperability, the authority has established a foundation for more reliable infrastructure oversight and improved community service delivery.

Authors: Garnet Daus (Public Relations Coordinator), Sara Kidd (Senior GIS Analyst), and Bryan Reid (GIS Programmer) of GeoDecisions.