Stormwater systems, by nature, are hidden. Buried beneath roadways, parks, and natural areas, they quietly handle thousands of gallons of runoff during every storm, protecting homes, roads, and critical infrastructure. But that invisibility also makes them challenging to manage, especially when inspection programs are reactive rather than data-driven.
Enter GIS: Geographic Information Systems have redefined how municipalities inspect, analyze, and plan for the future of their stormwater infrastructure. No longer just a mapping tool, GIS is now a core component of proactive maintenance programs across the country.
From Static Maps to Intelligent Infrastructure
In the not-so-distant past, most cities relied on paper as-builts, static CAD files, or spreadsheets to locate their storm lines. Inspection dataif it existedwas often siloed in separate systems, with little coordination between field crews, engineers, or planners.
Now, GIS offers real-time, centralized access to infrastructure data. Pipe locations, materials, diameters, inspection histories, and even live work orders can be visualized on interactive maps accessible from the field or office. This centralized visibility is helping cities like Hillsboro, Oregon, and Portland, Maine, transform the way they approach stormwater asset management.
Pinpointing Defects with Precision
One of GIS’s most powerful capabilities is the ability to spatially reference inspection data. Rather than just marking a pipe as “poor condition,” cities can now log exactly where a defect, like a root intrusion, crack, or joint offset occurs along the pipe segment.
Hillsboro’s GIS Analyst Lane LeBlue described this process during ITpipes’ recent webinar. His team uses linear referencing to map each defect as a point along the pipe. “You can see clusters of observations like root intrusions right under a row of trees,” he explained. That level of detail turns routine inspections into strategic planning tools.
Prioritization Made Smarter
Stormwater inspection programs often grapple with one major challenge: too many miles of pipe, not enough crews. Cities like Hillsboro manage over 300 miles of storm sewer with just two active trucks. In this environment, prioritization is everything.
By combining GIS with inspection scores, cities can easily identify:
- Which pipes are in critical condition
- Where structural failures are clustered
- Which areas are at higher risk of flooding based on historical rain events
This insight lets cities focus limited resources on the most vulnerable segments reducing the likelihood of emergencies and increasing efficiency.
Powering Capital Improvement Planning
Inspection data alone isn’t always enough to secure funding for repairs or capital projects. But when that data is mapped visually in GIS, the picture becomes clearer and far more compelling.
In Hillsboro, the inspection team worked with consultants to use GIS-based scoring to identify their most at-risk storm pipes. They then overlaid those segments with environmental and development data to create a ranked list of capital improvement projects. This list, supported by inspection video, mapped defects, and cost estimates, helped the city secure funding and schedule work efficiently across a two-year cycle.
This kind of data-backed planning makes it easier to explain the need for investment to city leadership, funding boards, and residents.
Integrating with Tools You Already Use
One of the reasons GIS has gained so much traction in stormwater management is its ability to integrate with other platforms. ITpipes, for example, offers deep integration with Esri’s ArcGIS, making it easy to pull inspection data directly into GIS environments without manual imports or reformatting.
This seamless connection means inspection results can be:
- Viewed on dashboards with other infrastructure layers
- Synced with asset management platforms
- Used to trigger automated maintenance workflows
The result? Less data entry, fewer silos, and more real-time decision making.
Real-Time Insights in the Field
GIS also plays a crucial role in the field. Inspection crews can use mobile GIS tools to locate assets, log work, and update condition scores in real time. If a crew discovers a collapsed pipe or active infiltration, that information is immediately visible to engineers back at the office and can be used to generate work orders on the spot.
Josh Graham of Compliance Enviro Systems highlighted this value during the webinar, especially in challenging inspection environments like New Orleans. Real-time GIS data lets crews adapt quickly and ensures nothing gets missed in the field-to-office transition.
GIS is No Longer Optional
As stormwater systems age, expand, and face new challenges from climate change, GIS has become an essential tool not a luxury. It enables cities to:
- Visualize and manage large, complex networks
- Predict failure before it happens
- Justify funding and resource allocation
- Support regulatory compliance and public safety
From planning to prioritization, GIS empowers smarter decisions every step of the way.
For years, stormwater has lived in the shadows of sanitary infrastructure. But as cities embrace data-driven asset management, GIS is bringing those systems into the light. With the right tools and integrations, even small teams can manage large storm systems with precision, speed, and foresight.
If your stormwater program is still using outdated maps and disconnected reports, it’s time to rethink your approach. GIS isn’t just a better map, it’s a better way to manage infrastructure.
