It’s an understatement to say the City of Long Beach Water Department is passionate about Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The department, responsible for the potable water and reclaimed water distribution and wastewater collection for a California city of 493,000, has incorporated GIS and methods that go well beyond the technology’s original purpose. The department has created a dynamic, organization-wide system that helps the staff manage day-to-day maintenance, scheduling, long-range capital improvement planning, and the tracking of all assets’ health and performance. Blazing a trailThe department was quick to jump on board with GIS in its infancy: It began integrating the
