ABSTRACT
The learning objective of this chapter is to understand the applications of GIS maps in the water industry.
MAJOR TOPICS
LIST OF CHAPTER ACRONYMS
CUSTOMER SERVICE APPLICATION IN GURNEE
The Village of Gurnee, located near Chicago (Illinois), has seen explosive growth since the 1970s. Population more than doubled from 13,701 in 1990 to 28,834 in 2000. This growth bogged down Gurnee personnel with public meetings, rezoning hearings, code violations, road construction, and water line and sewer line repairs. Several departments were legally required to notify property owners of meetings, pending changes, or future disruptions. The Village used GeoMedia GIS software from Intergraph to automate the resident notification process (Venden and Horbinski, 2003). The automated system — known as Notifast™ — allows staff members to enter a street address or select a parcel, specify a distance radius, and identify all property owners within that distance. Notifast then generates a list of mailing labels
and mail-merged form letters. Each letter includes an embedded map that clearly shows the area in question. This application of existing GIS maps has improved efficiency and customer service. What used to take hours is now completed in minutes.
