Expediting Lead Service Line Inventory with Smart Site Plan

Water systems across the United States tackle a significant challenge: they must compile Lead Service Line Inventories to meet the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) and Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). Traditional approaches, relying on spreadsheets and fieldwork, often slow the process, increase costs, and introduce errors. Smart Site Plan offers a different path, using geospatial tools to improve efficiency in inventory creation, inspections, updates, and planning for lead line replacements.

Visualizing Data with GIS

Smart Site Plan turns scattered records from spreadsheets or paper files into a map-based view, making it easier to understand the system at a glance. Staff import existing CAD and GIS files (even if those files lack online access), and the platform processes hard copy plans, aligning them with real-world locations. It also places images and PDFs onto the map, adjusting them to fit site conditions, which helps keep all data in one cohesive picture.

The system pulls in extra resources, including a database of over 18 million open data assets worldwide and high-resolution drone imagery. These tools assist in locating property owners, water meters, and parts of the water system, while also revealing other mapped utilities from public data. Staff cross-reference this information with public records, match it to their own files, and identify customers more quickly than sifting through tables alone.

Turning Plans into Usable Data

Old plans hold key details, and GIS platforms unlock them. Smart Site Plan digitizes paper records, extracting information like pipe materials, construction dates, and sizes to build the inventory. Staff save these digitized files in the system, creating a reference for future projects. As they gather or confirm new details about a property, they update its map entry directly, ensuring the inventory stays current and meets regulatory needs without extra steps.

Easing Fieldwork with Self-Reporting

Digital self-reporting forms add another layer of efficiency. Water systems share these forms with customers, who inspect their own private-side service lines and upload photos of the pipes. This method cuts down on fieldwork (such as excavations) by collecting data straight from residents. The photos give staff a way to check the reported materials, balancing speed with accuracy and reducing disruption in neighborhoods.

Moving Data Beyond the Map

GIS keeps data organized, and Smart Site Plan lets staff export it into spreadsheets tailored for regulatory submissions. They copy the information into required formats without reworking it by hand, simplifying reporting. The platform also aids in planning lead line replacements and notifying customers, keeping these tasks tied to the same mapped data.

The Value of GIS in Compliance

GIS platforms like Smart Site Plan show how technology can lighten the load of lead service line inventories. Staff use maps to see the system clearly, tap open data to fill gaps, convert old plans into digital assets, and gather resident input to limit fieldwork. This approach trims costs, speeds up the process, and sharpens the accuracy of the final inventory, turning a tough regulatory requirement into a more manageable task.