As the population increases around the world, the need for water resources steadily climbs. Communities depend on clean water to live safely and carry out daily activities. GIS technology can be used to develop solutions for all types of water resource problems. Data collection and analysis abilities help scientists more effectively model how water behaves, leading to improved water conservation and allocation.

With the ability to pull spatial data from different sources into an integrated environment, GIS gives users the power to assess water quality, determine water availability, prevent flooding, understand the natural environment, and manage water resources on a local or regional scale. Applications such as watershed delineation, topographic characteristic extraction, floodplain extent determination, and others provide an informed basis for sound decision making for water resource professionals. In addition, the majority of water/wastewater utilities use GIS technology to integrate information and applications with a geographic component into one manageable system. Information from various databases can be organized, managed, and distributed while maintaining data integrity and focusing on project direction.

Not only do water/wastewater agencies provide clean water and utility services to communities, they help protect the streams, rivers, and other bodies of water that define the natural environment of an area. GIS technology enables improved data analysis, giving water resource agencies tools to manage the natural water bodies while preserving the environment and protecting the water supply.

For more information, visit www.esri.com/water.