Colby to update to digital water system mapping
By Nathaniel Underwood
The Colby city council decided to move forward with plans to update many of the city’s system maps with a digital system that can be more readily accessed and updated as needed. The project is estimated to cost $43,750 with an additional $550 annual fee to utilize the software.
The new system, ArcGIS, will provide detailed Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping of the city’s water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer systems that city employees will be able use to track inspections and repairs and to maintain all related information in one central location. Additionally, city zoning and parcel maps were also offered with the service, with the potential of allowing the public access to such information online.
The previous city system maps were created using drafted CAD maps and aerial photography. The need to update how the city stores and is able to access information about these water utilities has become more evident with increased regulatory requirements from the EPA and DNR and with city employees with personal knowledge of these systems nearing retirement.
“The biggest thing is that I have two guys who are going to retire at some point and time and they know a lot, where certain things are at, that if they have not brought it up yet, we don’t know where it’s at yet,” Department of Publics Works head Harland Higley stated at the meeting. “It would be nice to have a digital memory of that someplace.”
With ArcGIS, GPS technology can be used through associated apps to locate important water utilities underground. Having a more accurate system will allow for greater efficiency when it comes to capital improvement plans as well as any engineering projects and will make any requests to locate these utilities much easier.
Ease of access and organization of important information was also cited as a plus of the new electronic system. Separate applications of the program can help track various items such as hydrant flushing, valve exercising, manhole inspections and more, making the ability to input and later find such information much more efficient.
Other local cities, including Abbotsford as well as county governments, were noted as utilizing similar technology with their water and sewer systems.
“I know that Edgar, Greenwood, and Neillsville have systems similar to this and they are real happy with them,” mayor James Schmidt said.
The project was initially estimated to cost $32,000 when it was initially proposed in August of 2023, but that figure did not include the figures for the entire package the council will now be moving forward with. The additional costs were to add more interactivity with maps as well as give the city the ability to update them as the systems continue to develop and change over the years.
The proposed timeline for the project would see it begin in the spring of 2024 with the GPS collection and likely wrap sometime in fall.
