Streamlining Hydrant Maintenance: GIS On-Call Impact

The City of Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, like many municipalities, faces the challenge of maintaining its infrastructure with limited staff. With an increasing demand for efficient, cost-effective services, the City engaged ISG as their on-call GIS consultant to explore how geographic information systems (GIS) technology could enhance their asset management efforts. The result? A customized hydrant inspection dashboard that is easy to use, accurate, efficient, and has transformed their approach to hydrant inspections and maintenance.

A Custom Solution

ISG’s GIS team worked closely with Vadnais Heights to design a fully customizable hydrant inspection dashboard. The tool provides on-the-go access for City staff to track maintenance schedules, record inspections, and receive repair alerts in areas that need immediate attention. This streamlined process has allowed the City to focus on maintenance and better allocate City resources, all while improving public safety.

Key Features

• Tracking Maintenance: The dashboard logs every interaction with a hydrant, preventing duplicate efforts.
• Repair Alerts: When an issue is identified, the system sends immediate alerts to staff, enabling quick response and repairs.
• Scheduling: The dashboard simplifies routine inspection schedules and future maintenance.
• Custom Surveys: Using Esri’s Survey123, an easy-to-use mobile data collection application that integrates seamlessly with GIS, the City can customize data collection forms in the field to meet their specific needs, including the ability to incorporate additional utilities, upload photos, and create additional dashboards tailored to other infrastructure needs.

The Power of ISG’s GIS Expertise

What sets this project apart is the expertise of ISG’s GIS manager, Luis Swanson. With over 18 years of experience improving municipal efficiency, planning, and decision-making through GIS applications, Luis brings a deep understanding of how to apply GIS technology to solve real-world problems. He customized the dashboard to the City’s needs, making it intuitive and easy for City staff to use without adding complexity. Luis’s hands-on approach backed by extensive experience allowed him to create a solution that is not only user-friendly, but also effective in addressing the City's unique challenges.

Adding Value with Advanced Technologies

ISG offers multiple advanced technologies designed to make projects faster, more efficient, and cost-effective. In addition to asset management, a GIS dashboard can help cities manage traffic flow and public transit routes, consolidate zoning maps and development trends, and provide residents with an interactive platform to view public project status, fostering greater transparency and engagement. From custom data collection forms to fully integrated GIS solutions, ISG leverages cutting-edge tools to ensure that clients get the most out of their investment.

Next Steps: Is Your GIS System Meeting Your Needs?

Consider how GIS can enhance your asset management capabilities. How well are your current systems serving your community? Are there opportunities to streamline processes and improve efficiency? We encourage you to assess their effectiveness and consider how they are impacting your community and staff.

Ready to get started? Contact Luis today to explore how GIS can help your community. ISG can work with you to tailor solutions and show you how GIS technology can drive efficiencies and save resources in your City. As partners for success, our team will take the time to understand needs and drive lasting and impactful change.