Asset Management for Utilities

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (CUC), a multi-state gas utility with two divisions, has the ongoing need to maintain its system maps and hydraulic models and manage as-built documents.

As prime consultant, Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) developed a hosted asset management solution for the engineering and operations departments of CUC. This solution combines GIS, hydraulic modeling, document management and work order management.  CUC uses the solution in day-to-day activities concerning the maintenance and expansion of its underground infrastructure.

HMM initiated the project by converting CUC’s paper facility mapping into a GIS database using County-supplied parcel mapping as land base.  Customer meters are located to the parcel level.  Consumption data is analyzed annually and a consumption profile is generated for each meter based on heating degree days.  The GIS and document system is updated from as-built records entered by CUC using Fieldbook^TM remote scanning technology.  Over 45 CUC field utility workers use Fieldbook^TM on a daily basis for locating infrastructure and managing their work.  Selected CUC personnel are authorized to update and edit document records using Fieldbook^TM. 

HMM’s services for CUC as the prime consultant include data center services, data conversion, software coding, GIS updates and data entry services. In addition, HMM provides project management, gas engineering, software architecture, software hosting management, engineering software design, web software, ESRI application software and quality assurance and control. 

HMM operates a data center which is used by CUC and other HMM clients.  The secure data center provides a Citrix server farm, Oracle and SQL servers, application servers, file servers and ESRI ArcGIS and SDE servers.  The data center is connected to the Internet backbone through a managed firewall.  Security measures include the separation of data and application servers from Internet facing servers, offsite data backup and role based security.

HMM also performs network analysis services including annual calibration of the hydraulic model.  New business and system improvement work requests are reviewed and recommendations are made as to pipe and regulator sizing.

Fully indexed system map books and custom map products are produced upon request.

Project Highlights:

• Internet-based enterprise infrastructure management solution
• Automated as-built work process
• Hydraulic model integrated into GIS
• Individual meter consumption data updated on periodic basis
• Automated map book generation
• Hosted solution
• Help Desk and security administration
• Role-based security model
• Hydraulic models for each distribution system
• New Business and System Improvement network analysis services
• Management of all asset inspections