Understanding the assets in play on a university campus

University of Santa Cruz Utility GIS

University campuses are responsible for the performance and maintenance of their infrastructure, and managing those assets requires tracking specific characteristics including location, condition, reoccurring maintenance problems, service requests, engineering plans, and photos. Geographic information systems (GIS) can manage this information through data set integration.

When the University of California Santa Cruz contracted us to develop a GIS for their utility infrastructure, we began the work of cataloguing their water, natural gas, electric, and telecommunications assets. We conducted stakeholder interviews, geodatabase design, and converted the existing AutoCAD drawings into a GIS format. 

Using Esri’s ArcGIS Online and Collector for ArcGIS products, we sent field teams out with iPads and high-precision GPS receivers. Each asset’s location was verified, and the photos and attribute information were uploaded and reviewed back in the office by our GIS analysts.

Leveraging this technology allowed a distributed team from across many Stantec offices to collaborate on the project and share project status with the client. The result? A robust accounting of their utility assets had the University of California Santa Cruz ready to deal with any challenges those systems sent their way. As Parker Welch, spatial data coordinator for the University said, “I can’t imagine the utility mapping process going any smoother.”