When you mention GIS, many people think maps. Representing information visually in the form of maps is one important aspect of GIS. But the real power of GIS lies in its ability to manage and analyze large volumes of disparate data and facilitate sharing that data to many users.

Several towns in the Northern New Jersey (USA) are a case in point, as outlined in New Focus on Floods; Mapping Tools Give Towns Boost, an article in Public Works online. The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, which is committed to environmental protection, economic development, and solid waste management, recently invested in a comprehensive GIS for 14 towns. Though the focus is on monitoring tidal movements in the Hackensack Basin, monitor damage to drainage ditches, and even warn businesses, the GIS has been used by many departments.

By using the GIS to share information and enable others to add data, several departments have been able to improve services to their communities through different applications.

  • Ecologists and scientists use the data to detect environmental trends and how overdevelopment can affect river basins.
  • Officials in one town used the information to dispatch emergency crews to residents at risk for flooding.
  • Another town used the GIS to locate fire hydrants and retrieve property tax cards.

These are just some examples of how towns and public works departments are using GIS across departments to improve delivery of services and increase efficiencies.

Download Best Practices: GIS for Public Works for more examples.
[PDF-2.51 MB, 26 pages]

Did you know? May 20-26, is National Public Works Awareness Week. Learn more by visiting the American Public Works Association.