Q: What led Port Angeles to implement Cityworks?
A: Before implementing Cityworks, Port Angeles had just constructed a new $30 million water treatment plant associated with the federal government’s removal of the Elwha Dam and expanded our water and wastewater utilities into the urban growth area. Federal and state requirements related to the City’s NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit dictated the establishment of a new stormwater utility. The City’s old work order system was proprietary and did not link to the GIS. Port Angeles was in need of a system that was GIS-integrated and would help manage our growing infrastructure. We discovered Cityworks and were confident it could meet our needs of a GIS-based AMS system. In 2010, we began our Cityworks implementation across our water and stormwater divisions.
Q: How is Cityworks utilized at the City?
A: Cityworks is used by the Public Works Department to manage all of the City’s water and stormwater services. Specifically, the department utilizes Cityworks for maintenance management in the water treatment plant, Water Utility Division, and Stormwater Utility Division. Between maintaining the drinking water system to the collection of stormwater received from residential, commercial, and industrial uses, Cityworks provides a system by which to collect and store all the data on the assets and maintenance associated with these areas. Now that the initial rollouts in water distribution/production and water treatment plants are complete, more will fall in line in the near future.
Q: What type of benefits has Port Angeles’ Water Division realized due to Cityworks?
A: Port Angeles has seen many positive results and timesaving measures due to our Cityworks usage. For example, Cityworks provides the Water Utility Division statistics to target old water main replacements during our annual water main replacement project. In addition, maintenance processes have improved as the Division uses Cityworks for pump and water quality preventive and general system maintenance with superb results. For the Stormwater Utility Division, Cityworks has provided reporting and permitting support in compliance with state and federal requirements related to the City’s NPDES permit. Utilizing Cityworks for this has saved the City valuable time and resources. For the water treatment plant, Cityworks provides a comprehensive work history to determine preventive maintenance at the plant.
Q: What future plans does Port Angeles have for Cityworks?
A: Port Angeles is expanding our use of Cityworks throughout 2011 and plans to further that usage throughout the organization in the near future. The Street Department is scheduled to go online with Cityworks by this summer, and we will fully bring the Wastewater Utility online before fall of 2011. The wastewater treatment plant is planning to be completely online by the fall of 2012. Once all the water divisions are fully up and running with Cityworks, we plan to bring the Electric Utility on board.
With Bill Hale, GIS Tech, City of Port Angeles
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