GRAB THE POWER: THE SANITARY DISTRICT OF DECATUR SUCCEEDS WITH FLEXIBLE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT TOOLS

Many municipalities are eager to take advantage of the exploding capabilities of information technology (IT) tools in their daily operations. Conceptually, IT tools should help us achieve a simple goal: use information efficiently to make better decisions. There is no doubt that today's software technology provides very powerful tools to assist with engineering decisions; however, powerful tools are useful only if the right tool is selected for the decision at hand. Municipal engineers are faced with an avalanche of IT options: off-the-shelf packages, custom software, software vendors selling engineering tools, engineering firms selling software products, and the list goes on. Selecting the “right” IT solution can be a significant challenge.Fundamentally, the right set of IT tools can only be selected after identifying end-user needs. This paper presents a successful approach used by the Sanitary District of Decatur that focused on end-user needs to develop a flexible, expandable information management platform. The District's platform integrates the following software components:Geographic Information System (GIS) and database applications.A collection system hydraulic model.A Graphical User Interface to link the GIS, databases, and model, built specifically to satisfy end-user needs.The resulting integrated GIS information management platform serves as a support tool for the District's decisions on collection system modification, operation, and maintenance.