Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
Arthur C. Clarke
I am old enough (easily) to remember when home computers were widely considered “a solution in search of a problem.”
Around the time IBM and Apple released their first desktop models, about all anyone could think to use them for was balancing the checkbook and installing recipes. And who would pay what was then a hefty price for a machine to do those things? Very few people, as it turned out.
We all know what has happened since. Computers got steadily more powerful and less expensive. Printers improved. The Internet came into existence. Digital cameras were invented. Software tools emerged by the bushel. Video games arrived. Music went electronic. In short order, the world went digital.
Now a home computer is not only useful — it is about as essential as electricity, central heating and indoor plumbing. And how much more essential for business — including the business of managing underground infrastructure?
More examples
This issue of Municipal Sewer & Water contains two more examples of how municipalities and utility agencies are using electronics to keep tabs on their infrastructure better and more efficiently than ever before.
The experience of St. Paul, Minn., shows that paper maps and paper drawings are quickly going the way of vinyl record albums and typewriters. Dan Bartholic, a civil engineer in the city Public Works department, observes, “Accurate records of the sewer network are critical for the efficient day-to-day operation of our system.
“However, in a time when our staff is shrinking and demand for information is growing, it is a big challenge to keep those records up to date. Improved technology and processes have made the task much easier.”
That pretty well sums it up. It’s not just big cities that are adopting technology. This magazine has carried numerous stories about small communities taking innovative approaches with digital storage of pipe inspection data, GIS mapping, and much more.
Meanwhile, in Washington state, the King County Wastewater Treatment Division uses computer technology in a sophisticated flow-monitoring program that helps identify infiltration and inflow issues, plot salt water intrusion, support specific pilot projects, and more.
What’s your story?
Two decades ago, who could have imagined the difference computers and software would make in the management of public facilities? In this respect, the quotation above from science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke holds strikingly true.
Given the unquestioned benefits of technology, it would seem the wise course for communities and utilities of every size is to embrace it to the fullest. Don’t settle for the excuses that “times are tight” and “there’s no money.” If ever an investment can be justified, it is an investment in tools that, once deployed, can increase productivity, save time, and save dollars every day thereafter, as far as the eye can see.
How far has your community climbed on the technology ladder? Are you pushing the limits of today’s tools? Just starting to make inroads against the paper-based world? Municipal Sewer & Water would like to share your experiences with your peers in other communities and utility districts.
Drop a line to editor@mswmag.com and tell us about your adventures with the latest in time- and labor-saving electronic tools. We’ll report on your successes in future issues of the magazine.
The experiences of communities we profile show that it pays to go digital. For one thing, technology makes work a lot more satisfying for your professional staff members. There was a time, before the advent of electronic calculators, when a large share of the work time of professional engineers was spent doing computation, manually or on a crude device such as a slide rule.
If you are forcing your professional staff to do tedious work with paper maps, paper forms, and other relics of an earlier age, then you are keeping them from delivering the full value of their education, training and experience.
The other key reason to deploy technology is to help you deliver the highest-quality, most cost-effective service to the residents and businesses who depend on you. F
Comments on this column or about any article in this publication may be directed to editor Ted J. Rulseh, 800/257-7222 or editor@mswmag.com.
