Pierce County has won an international award for using GIS mapping tools to better manage storm drains and other road assets. The Environmental Science and Research Institute (ESRI) recognized Pierce County’s leadership in managing key infrastructure. Improved mapping has reduced annual costs (labor, equipment, and materials) for storm drain inspections and cleaning by 24 percent.

County staff used Web mapping and asset management tools to improve data collection, field inspection and quality control of road assets. New GIS tools allow Road Operations managers and supervisors to easily share a common operating picture in real time. Road crews can easily access interactive maps on their mobile devices, allowing them to meet or exceed service goals while saving taxpayer money.

Pierce County’s Road Operations Division, Surface Water Management Division and IT Applications and GIS Services Division worked together to pilot the program. The program’s goal was to responsibly manage storm drainage infrastructure in relation to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The program officially launched in winter 2014.

About the SAG:

The ESRI solicited nominations of outstanding GIS users from private industry managers, US regional offices, and international distributors. Pierce County was one of 130 chosen from more than 350,000 Esri clients worldwide. Click here for more details and a list of all winners.