Web-Based Enterprise Information System Supports Phoenix Water Services Department Reengineering Needs

The 1200+ employee Water Services Department (Department) provides the City of Phoenix and the greater Phoenix metropolitan area with drinking water and wastewater treatment services. Recently, the Department underwent a major reengineering program — resulting in a broadening of responsibilities and skill requirements of individual employees. Faced with the need to provide information to staff in support of expanded job responsibilities and information needs, the Department implemented a Web-Based Access System (WBS).The WBS is a web-enabled information platform that integrates multiple information sources, databases and reference information. The WBS is designed to support both present and future business activities and needs of the Department as reengineering activities progress. The cornerstone of the WBS is a database-driven Information Access System (DBIAS). The DBIAS engine uses a dynamic database that is driven through web technology to store and present a variety of information to users. The DBIAS has complete editing and configuring tools that allow managers the ability to edit and modify all content. The DBIAS platform is completely web-based and is used to provide a single source for information to replace all traditional reference and documentation including policies, procedures, O&M information, record drawings, specifications, shop drawing submittals. The platform also integrates water quality and chemical manifest information, as well as information from Distributed Control System databases, to reporting tools and summaries.Since the DBIAS roll-out at the City of Phoenix 23rd Avenue WWTP (57-mgd) in 2000, the WBS platform is being implemented on a Department-wide basis at each of the Wastewater Treatment, Water Production, Wastewater Collections and Water Distribution, Pollution Control, Engineering and Environmental Compliance Divisions to support organizational information needs and consistent storage and access to information for all Divisions.The platform is continually being expanded to support other Department information management needs. These include a Capital Project Management Information System used to support capital project management within the Engineering Division; an Environmental Health and Safety System that supports regulatory compliance at all City facilities: and external web site for all member agencies in the Phoenix metropolitan area to access and view their respective wastewater contributions and charges to a regional wastewater treatment facility. To date, the system has over 600 users and will eventually be accessible by all 1200 Department employees.