Kentucky GIS Conference 2024

This presentation will explore how to deploy field maps as an easy and quick field data collection option. We will use the EPA Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR) as a case study to show how we have used ArcGIS Online and the Field Maps app as an outlet for field collection in developing water utilities service line inventories.  The goal of using Field Maps in this case study is to have an accurate and up to date method of gathering data. Overall, this system has provided many water systems a reliable way of collecting field data to remain within state and federal EPA guidelines to build their inventories using technology they likely already have. Attendees will take away how AGOL and the Field Maps app can be utilized as a tool to quickly collect data from field crew activity and the feasibility of how GIS can help keep records up to date, even when the records need to be collected in the field. 

In March, 2023, The New York Times ran a story describing a broken 48-inch water main in Jackson, Mississippi gushing 5 million gallons of water each day. This was only one in an entire catalog of problems facing the city’s water department. Jackson, Mississippi’s capitol, has one of the most fragile water systems in the US. The city routinely deals with supply problems, contamination, pipe breaks, low water pressure, and boil-water notices. Decades in the making, this situation became a crisis in August, 2022, when flooding knocked out the city’s water treatment plants. State and federal disaster declarations kicked off a massive effort to rebuild the crippled utility into a resilient, reliable water source. Starting with paper maps, Stantec assembled an ESRI Utility Network from historic utility records and field data collection. Jackson can use this UN to be the single source of truth; to track repairs, maintenance, and upgrades, and maintain uninterrupted service to residents.

Accurate delineation of drainage basins is crucial for effective stormwater management, particularly for MS4 major outfalls. Leveraging the power of GIS and high-resolution digital elevation models derived from public LiDAR data, this presentation a comprehensive approach to create local, custom drainage basins. The process involves conditioning the DEM to remove noise and artifacts, strategically depressing the DEM at storm sewer inlets to ensure realistic flow paths, and systematically grouping individual drainage areas into larger outfall drainage basins. This methodology not only enhances the precision of hydrological modeling but also provides valuable insights for MS4 compliance and urban water resource management.

Explore how JXN Water was able to expand Esri’s deployable solution to build a Lead Service Line inventory, and better inform their evolving Utility Network. Enhancements to Field Maps, dynamic Survey123 forms, and custom Dashboards all contributed to smarter strategy and greater collaboration. The modifications allowed for high accuracy locates, replacement tracking, and in-office data editing. The lessons learned in Jackson can inform other communities of creative ways to use the Esri suite to develop a Lead Service Line Inventory that complies with the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions.

In this presentation we’ll discuss lessons learned from performing an in-depth analysis of impervious surface to validate existing and recommend future stormwater fee changes for a small municipal stormwater network in the Great Miami River Valley. We will briefly cover the data used to perform the analysis before examining two scenarios for calculating residential and commercial stormwater fees and the benefits and drawbacks of both. A Dashboard in ArcGIS Online is used to visualize the different fee scenarios, enabling side-by-side comparison of revenue generated in each. Lastly, we will cover a brief list of lessons learned from the analysis—from the practical to the political—and discuss the results of implementing one of the selected strategies at scale. While this topic is detailed enough to fill an entire day of discussion, attendees should leave with a set of guidelines and things to look out for when considering a project of this scale. 

Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) as it relates to land surveying most deals with the location of underground utility lines or pipes and the different levels of confidence associated with that location. SUE is mainly used at the design stage of an engineering project when information is being collected for potential design conflicts. When a SUE investigation is carried out for a design project prior to construction, the land survey objective is generally to collect accurate utility information on the location and the size and material of the facility for use in all stages of the project. Project owners and design engineers may be missing information about their underground utilities or have inaccurate data. In this session, we will discuss the benefits of having accurate locations of underground utilities according to the four quality levels prescribed by ASCE Standard 38-22 as well as the safety implications if utilities are not properly located.

Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) has been awarded funding through the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to develop an updated Catastrophic Urban Flood Plan (CUFP) for the City of Louisville, which includes development of mitigation strategy through assessing cascading infrastructure dependencies. Arcadis is working alongside MSD staff to develop an online geospatial web application that highlights the cascading effect and interdependencies of critical infrastructure for emergency management stakeholders. The application will provide first responders an understanding of critical infrastructure, such as hospitals, wastewater treatment plants, and other facilities that would be immediate priorities in a flooding event. Attendees will take away insight to the development of the City of Louisville’s CUFP and how they will utilize the geospatial web application in the event of a dam or levee failure.

How do you get more out of your GIS? This presentation starts with understanding the capabilities of a geographic information system (GIS). Topics include managerial dashboards, regulatory compliance, field crew solutions, and supporting technologies (GPS). Next, Oldham County Water District GIS Manager Kenny Ratliff will show how OCWD is maximizing GIS. Topics include OCWD’s boil water advisory map, lead service line solution, meter inspection GPS, 811 locate request workflow, and more. Ratliff will show how spatial tools improve OCWD’s customer service, engage stakeholders, generate ROI, and simplify tasks for employees.

Due to the possibility of lead contamination in drinking water, the EPA is requiring Water Utilities to inspect and inventory their water service lines. This presentation will discuss managing this effort utilizing GIS and mobile technologies and how this can be achieved as part of an asset management system. The examples provided have been designed to address the requirements established by the Kentucky Division of Water.

This is an overview of our process to replace primary underground electric cables.  Utilizing existing data within our GIS and our engineer’s review of industry expectations, we provide managers with a system status dashboard and planners with an estimated failure rate and estimated expenses for repair or replacement.  Starts with a description of the initial program before touching on a bit of python code and exploring GIS solutions for planners and managers.  Concludes with initial results and future actions.

Since 2000, the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), in its various incarnations, has provided surface water and a hydrologic network for the United States, first at a 1:100000 scale, then (since 2010) at a 1:24000 scale. In 2023, USGS decided to retire the NHD, replacing it with the 3D Hydrography Dataset (3DHP), the first systematic remapping of the Nation's surface waters since the USGS topographic map program. The new dataset will feature 3D stream network datasets and waterbodies derived from LiDAR collected by USGS as part of their 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). This presentation start with a brief history of the NHD program, Kentucky Division of Water's role as NHD data steward, and provide an overview of the upcoming 3DHP data set.

This 90-minute BONUS workshop is open to all conference attendees! Join us after Thursday sessions for a more in-depth discussion of Resume Dos and Don’ts and bring your resume for critique and support. See how other geospatial professionals describe their work, record their accomplishments, and offer support and advice to others who may be struggling to highlight their own successes or toot their own horns. You don't have to be job-hunting to benefit from this low-stakes collaboration--all of us will, at one stage, need to produce a concise written record of our successes, so instead of scrambling then, prepare now! Attendees will leave with actionable steps to take to improve how others perceive their resumes and confidence in their own achievements.