{"id":586134,"date":"2026-08-13T19:10:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T19:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/?post_type=blog&p=586134"},"modified":"2026-08-13T19:04:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T19:04:20","slug":"cloud-modernization-positions-central-arkansas-water-for-gis-innovation","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/blog\/articles\/cloud-modernization-positions-central-arkansas-water-for-gis-innovation","title":{"rendered":"Cloud Modernization Positions Central Arkansas Water for GIS Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Central Arkansas Water (CAW) is the largest water utility in Arkansas, delivering high-quality drinking water to nearly 500,000 people across eight counties. The utility manages 2,714 miles of pipe, 41,622 valves, more than 202,000 metered connections, two watersheds, three treatment plants, and a 721-square-mile service area.<\/p>\n\n

For nearly three decades, CAW has relied on Esri geographic information system (GIS) technology as the operational foundation for visualizing pipeline networks, analyzing infrastructure conditions, and supporting rapid response when it matters most. Through cloud modernization with CyberTech, CAW has grown its active GIS user base from 75 users to approximately 200, brought valve inspections in-house to save more than $1 million every five years, and built a platform capable of handling 10.3 million GIS requests in its first five months after go-live.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cGIS ensures that employees see the system clearly using updated maps.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Danny Dunn, Director of Distribution<\/em><\/p>\n\n

The Need for a More Resilient GIS Platform<\/h2>\n\n

As CAW\u2019s service area and operational demands grew, so did the limitations of its existing GIS environment. The utility relied on an aging on-premises ArcGIS Server deployment that had served well for years but was beginning to show its constraints.<\/p>\n\n

System outages and scheduled maintenance windows disrupted access to critical data and maps, forcing field crews to rely on outdated printed maps. Locating valves, isolating affected mains, and identifying impacted customers required phone calls back to the office and manual coordination between teams. Each hour of system downtime was an hour during which crews operated without reliable geospatial information.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Central Arkansas Water (CAW) Field Crew Conducting a Valve Installation and GIS Distribution Posting Form Dashboard Overview<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

At the same time, demand for GIS access was growing across the organization. What had begun as a specialized tool for a limited group of users was becoming essential to engineering, operations, and field services. The platform needed to support a larger, more distributed user base without sacrificing reliability or performance.<\/p>\n\n

\n
\"\"
CAW Field Crew Conducting a Field Survey Using Mobile GPS Data Collection<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
\"\"
GIS Distribution Posting Form Dashboard Displaying Valve and Hydrant Counts<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n

\u201cBy mapping existing facilities, proposed expansions, and active breaks, GIS serves as the critical link between office teams and field crews.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Elizabeth Heiles, PE, Senior Engineer, Central Arkansas Water<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Finding the Right Partner<\/h2>\n\n

CAW senior information services manager Alex Harper first encountered CyberTech at the Esri User Conference, where CyberTech presented on GIS cloud modernization strategies for utilities. The presentation addressed exactly the operational and infrastructure challenges CAW was facing.<\/p>\n\n

CyberTech is an Esri partner holding two specialty certifications directly relevant to CAW\u2019s needs: the GIS Cloud Specialty and the GIS Network Management Specialty. These credentials, combined with CyberTech\u2019s experience managing complex utility GIS environments, gave CAW confidence that the technical depth and hands-on expertise required for a successful migration were there.<\/p>\n\n

Through its MACS (Managed ArcGIS Cloud Services) White Glove service, CyberTech takes on full responsibility for the underlying infrastructure, including monitoring, maintenance, and support. This model allowed CAW\u2019s GIS team to redirect their focus toward advancing GIS capabilities across the utility rather than managing servers.<\/p>\n\n

Creating a Scalable GIS Platform<\/h2>\n\n

CyberTech and CAW began with a Cloud Readiness Assessment. The assessment evaluated CAW\u2019s existing GIS architecture, more than 20 years of accumulated spatial data, and the system dependencies behind daily operations. It produced a clear migration road map designed to minimize operational disruption while modernizing the platform.<\/p>\n\n

The migration was completed in four months. The environment moved to ArcGIS Enterprise in the cloud, the geodatabase was upgraded, and proactive monitoring tools were deployed. The modernized platform is built around the following:<\/p>\n\n

Core Platform Components<\/strong><\/p>\n\n