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Geospatial web application development to access irrigation asset data: Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System

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Geospatial web application development to access irrigation asset data: Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System

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Geospatial Web Application Development to Access Irrigation Asset Data:
Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System

by

Megan Theresa Gosch

A Thesis Presented to the
Faculty of the USC Graduate School
University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
Master of Science
(Geographic Information Science and Technology)

May 2016

Copyright ® 2016 by Megan Theresa Gosch

ii

DEDICATION

To my mom, Carolyn Ann Eriksson, for everything. Gone too soon but forever in our
hearts.

iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank my family for their continued support throughout my graduate
coursework and thesis writing. Knowing the time you have allowed me to pursue my dream of
finishing my master’s degree resulted in time not spent with you all. I hope for my three boys
that you can now see that going to school when you are passionate about something is worth all
the hard work.
Thank you to all my teachers at USC, but especially Dr. Darren Ruddell my thesis chair,
and my committee members Dr. Jennifer Swift and Dr. Robert Vos. You made this process a
whole lot easier with your continued support and guidance.
To Steve McGrath, Supervisory Engineer of the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care
System, who supported this project throughout the entire process. Thank you also to Joanna Fong
for her continued assistance and feedback.
Last, but not least, to my husband Dave. Your love and encouragement are a continual
inspiration to me.

iv

Table of Contents
Dedication ....................................................................................................................................... ii
Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... iii
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ vi
List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... viii
List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... ix
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... x
Chapter 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Asset Management and GIS .................................................................................................1
1.2 GIS Implementation at the Palo Alto Health Care System ..................................................2
1.3 Project Overview .................................................................................................................4
1.4 Application Technology .......................................................................................................5
1.5 Application Goals ................................................................................................................6
1.6 Thesis Organization .............................................................................................................6
Chapter 2 Background .................................................................................................................... 8
2.1 GIS and Asset Management .................................................................................................9
2.2 GIS and Irrigation Infrastructure .......................................................................................10
2.3 Web-Based GIS Applications ............................................................................................12
2.4 Esri ArcGIS Online Applications ......................................................................................14
Chapter 3 Development ................................................................................................................ 19
3.1 Scope and Objectives of Study ..........................................................................................19
3.2 Data Collection and Geodatabase Creation .......................................................................22
3.2.1. Irrigation Controller Geodatabase............................................................................22
3.2.2. Gate Valve Geodatabase ..........................................................................................24
3.3 Application Development ..................................................................................................27
3.3.1. Programming............................................................................................................27
3.3.2. Programming Challenges .........................................................................................33
Chapter 4 Application Evaluation ................................................................................................. 35
4.1 Original Project Intent ........................................................................................................35
4.2 Evaluator Identification......................................................................................................36
4.3 User Survey Form ..............................................................................................................37
v

Chapter 5 Technology Transfer .................................................................................................... 43
Chapter 6 Conclusion and Future Work ....................................................................................... 45
6.1 Impact ................................................................................................................................45
6.2 Goals Achieved ..................................................................................................................46
6.3 Future Improvements .........................................................................................................46
6.4 Applying Geospatial Web Applications for other VA assets ............................................48
References ..................................................................................................................................... 50
Appendix A: Irrigation Controllers – Map Application User Guide ............................................ 53
Appendix B: Irrigation Controllers – Shut Off Locations User Guide ......................................... 56
Appendix C: User Survey Form ................................................................................................... 58

vi

List of Figures
Figure 1 Study Area location. Source: Megan Gosch 2015 ............................................................ 3
Figure 2 Utah DOT driveways map. Source: Utah DOT 2015 .................................................... 15
Figure 3 Texas DOT real property asset map. Source: Texas DOT ............................................. 17
Figure 4 Bucks County map viewer. Source: Bucks County 2015............................................... 17
Figure 5 City of Mountain View Zoning Districts Viewer ........................................................... 18
Figure 6 Irrigation Database Design ............................................................................................. 23
Figure 7 Staff member review document...................................................................................... 23
Figure 8 Irrigation controllers and areas. Source: Megan Gosch 2015 ........................................ 24
Figure 9 Back flow locations and areas. Source: Megan Gosch 2015 .......................................... 25
Figure 10 Gate Valve Database Design ........................................................................................ 26
Figure 11 Gate valve locations and areas. Source: Megan Gosch 2015 ....................................... 26
Figure 12 Irrigation Controller Map Application ......................................................................... 28
Figure 13 Aerial Imagery .............................................................................................................. 29
Figure 14 Controller Information.................................................................................................. 30
Figure 15 Construction Drawing .................................................................................................. 31
Figure 16 Controller Manufacturer Search Results ...................................................................... 31
Figure 17 Irrigation Shut off Locations – Map Viewer ................................................................ 32
Figure 18 Irrigation Shut Off G88-C Click Results ...................................................................... 33
Figure 19 User Survey Form Question 1 and Responses ............................................................. 37
Figure 20 User Survey Form Questions 2 and 3 ........................................................................... 38
Figure 21 User Survey Form Question 4 and Responses ............................................................. 39
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Figure 22 Question 5 and Responses ............................................................................................ 39
Figure 23 User Survey Form Questions 6 through 8 .................................................................... 40
Figure 24 Information Screen ....................................................................................................... 41

viii

List of Tables
Table 1 Application Goals ............................................................................................................. 6

ix

List of Abbreviations
AGOL ArcGIS Online
CAD Computer-Aided Design
DOT Department of Transportation
GIS Geographic information system
GISci Geographic information science
GISP Geographic Information System Professional
GPS Global Positioning System
LMD Livermore Division
MPD Menlo Park Division
PAHCS Palo Alto Health Care System
PAD Palo Alto Division
PC Personal computer
PDA Personal digital assistant
SDSFIE Spatial Data Standards for Facilities, Infrastructure, and Environment
SSI Spatial Sciences Institute
VA Veterans Affairs
USC University of Southern California
WYSIWYG What you see is what you get

x

Abstract
Asset management systems can save organizations time and money by enabling staff access to
well-organized and easily retrievable information. Visualizing the physical and contextual
locations of these assets in a geospatial application increases the understanding and efficiency of
staff. Often times, Geographic Information Specialist (GIS) analysts create and maintain asset
information using specialized software programs, however these software platforms are often not
user-friendly to non-GIS practitioners. Consequently, comprehension and adoption of GIS
technologies requires special training and hands-on experience. The benefits of managing this
information in GIS may not be realized if others cannot access the data. This thesis presents two
easy-to-use GIS web applications developed for non-GIS staff at the VA Palo Alto campus to
visualize and better understand the geospatial context and data of their 93-acre campus facility.
The applications focus on irrigation infrastructure and include: irrigation controllers, back flow
valves, gate valves, and all of their respective areas. Users can quickly locate shut off locations
of irrigation pipelines when an immediate need arises such as a line break or a required
maintenance activity. The applications developed for this thesis provide a template for managing
other utility assets through web applications for the VA Palo Alto campus.

1

Chapter 1 Introduction
As technology has developed and become more accessible, software applications must have a
spatial component tied to infrastructure to effectively manage assets (Halfawy, Vanier and
Froese 2006; Stenstrom and Parida 2014). There are many firms, water districts, and government
agencies, creating custom GIS web applications in the utility market such as IBM Maximo and
Cityworks. A subgroup of this market addresses managing irrigation infrastructure, including
pipelines, irrigation controllers, back flow location, gate valves, sprinklers, drip systems, as well
as other mechanisms that may make up an irrigation system. Differing from custom-developed
solutions, this thesis presents two web applications built using Esri’s Web AppBuilder templates
and widgets freely available to users. The applications allow non-technical users to view and
query geospatial irrigation infrastructure with either a computer or mobile unit.
1.1 Asset Management and GIS
Managing assets and enabling easy-access of the data to staff is crucial for organizations
to proactively plan and effectively administer the services they support. Aging infrastructure is
causing huge costs within water and wastewater systems (Baird 2010, Booth and Rogers 2011).
The breakdown of old pipes and irrigation systems can require entire systems to be shut down.
Without a system in place to track the health of infrastructure, management has no way to
determine which pipes require maintenance, or to identify a shut off location if a water line
breaks. The US Environmental Protection Agency reported that by 2020 the capital required to
fix or replace infrastructure may exceed 50% of capital infrastructure budgets for local
communities (Booth and Rogers 2011). The American Water Works Association (AWWA)
further supports this claim, stating that maintenance costs will total more than $1 trillion by 2035
(Mader 2012).
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Asset management is defined as knowing what assets an organization has, precisely
where they are located, the condition of the assets, how they should be operated, the
development of a maintenance program, and performing all related activities in order to
minimize costs (Davis 2007). Due to its spatial and information system capabilities, GIS
technology becomes an obvious choice to assist in the management and tracking of irrigation
infrastructure (Baird 2011, Schultz 2012).
In the past, asset management occurred with stacks of hard-copy construction drawings,
and old financial information records. GIS provides the foundation for incorporating geospatial
asset location information tied to robust databases which work with all aspects of asset
management (Johnson and Goldman 1990). Not only does GIS provide attributes about the
specific asset such as model, manufacturer and serial number, but can also be linked to
construction drawings, maintenance records, or customer information.
1.2 GIS Implementation at the Palo Alto Health Care System
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Geospatial Business Intelligence Service
Line, adopted the Spatial Data Standards for Facilities, Infrastructure, and Environment
(SDSFIE) for the development of Esri-GIS databases used for facility management in 2015. This
standard was developed by the CADD/GIS Technology Center and has been adopted by many
US federal agencies (Halfaway 2006). This is significant because it shows the commitment to
GIS used for facility and infrastructure management. The VA’s Palo Alto Division (PAD)
campus of the Palo Alto Health Care System (PAHCS) completed a GIS base map for its 93-acre
campus in early 2015, which includes general land cover types such as buildings, paved, or
landscaped areas. Figure 1 on the following page shows the PAD campus, located in Palo Alto,
California, containing approximately 93 acres of land. Originally established in 1960 with 15
3

Figure 1 Study Area location. Source: Megan Gosch 2015

original buildings, PAD was the third major campus in the system. The main hospital was
demolished after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. In 2010, the PAHCS launched a $1.5
billion capital infrastructure investment program, spurring the major construction occurring at
PAD ever since (Veterans Affairs 2010). Now employing approximately 4,000 employees, and
providing care to over 500,000 patients, this immense amount of construction will help address
the growing veteran population requiring health care. The campus needs an accurate asset
management system due to the immense physical changes occurring from this construction.
4

The facility planning department at PAD has never previously used GIS. The campus is
separated into two distinct sections: health care and facility planning. The two sections have very
different responsibilities, goals and objectives. The health care section uses GIS, mostly in the
form of paid consulting through Esri. Their work focuses on health care analytics regarding
patients, location of facilities, and disease outbreaks. The facility planning department contracted
for the creation of a campus GIS base map in February 2014, providing the foundation of this
project. Being PAD’s first foray into GIS, it was very important to illustrate to staff the benefits
of GIS and how it could improve their workflow and tasks in a cost effective manner.

1.3 Project Overview
After completing the GIS campus base map, the benefits of including other facility
information into the GIS database became apparent. Working closely with the site’s landscape
architect, we incorporated irrigation infrastructure into the GIS database. A landscape
maintenance company is currently contracted to provide services to the campus. Their employees
do not have direct access to the VA servers containing the digital CAD design or as-built
irrigation drawings. Creating a system allowing users to view and identify irrigation shut off
locations supports prompt action when leaks or breaks occur. Additionally, staff also benefit
from the ability to monitor and locate irrigation controllers during the phases of heavy
construction. This allows employees to determine which controllers require relocation or to
discontinue their weather service subscriptions.
There are two objectives to this project. First, enabling non-technical employees’ access
to irrigation infrastructure in two easy-to-use GIS applications created with Esri products. And
second, to demonstrate to the VA the benefits of utilizing GIS technology as part of their overall
asset management system by increasing staff productivity and response times. The first
5

application locates irrigation controllers and information about their respective areas. The second
application focuses on shut off information including gate valve and back flow locations. The
potential users include maintenance staff, landscape architects, mechanical engineers, and
facility planners at PAD. As part of a larger asset management system, these applications can be
expanded to include domestic water, electrical, gas, and steam pipelines information.
1.4 Application Technology
The two web applications were created within Esri’s ArcGIS Online (AGOL) and Web
AppBuilder for Developers environment. Esri provides a suite of products for creating GIS data,
sharing the information as web services, and constructing web applications. Developing this
application with the Esri product suite allows for the long-term use of this application, as the VA
has committed to using Esri software for all GIS development. Accessing the VA’s internal Esri
GeoPortal server removes any costs associated with hosting this application. It also allows for
the easy update of the irrigation infrastructure information.

6

1.5 Application Goals
Table 1 presents the goals of this project and how they were achieved.

Table 1 Application Goals
Application Requirement Achievement Parameters
Provide an alternative to locating hard-copy
paper or digital CAD maps to identify
irrigation infrastructure assets
Build a web GIS application to manage and
geographically locate irrigation infrastructure
assets
Develop applications that are usable by staff
with limited technology skills
Develop user-friendly applications which
provide limited functionality focused on their
primary tasks
Ensure that the applications meet the previous
goal of being user-friendly and useful
Present the application to a small user group
for testing and user feedback
Develop applications that can be transferred
within the existing VA GIS technology
environment
Create the GIS database and application with
Esri technology including ArcMap, AGOL and
Web AppBuilder for Developers
Illustrate the benefits of GIS technology to VA
management and staff thereby increasing use
of GIS for future projects
Capture user feedback with a user survey
which identifies potential future GIS uses

1.6 Thesis Organization
This thesis is divided into 6 chapters. The project background is described in Chapter 2,
and summarizes how GIS is used in asset management and irrigation infrastructure. Chapter 2
then compares and contrasts the irrigation infrastructure applications with other asset
management applications illustrating the benefits of this project. Chapter 3 presents the
application development process for the VA case study. Chapter 4 reviews the results of the user
surveys and feedback from the testers of these applications. Chapter 5 discusses the technology
transfer strategy. The applications are currently hosted on USC’s SSCI AGOL environment, and
7

will be transferred over to the VA’s Geoportal upon completion. Chapter 6 closes with the
successes and failures of this project as well as how it may be further studied.

8

Chapter 2 Background
This literature review identifies the use of GIS and asset management in a variety of different
formats: commercially-developed software, GIS ArcMap extensions, custom web-based
solutions, and Esri-developed applications. Several commercial GIS applications provide access
to GIS data in an approachable format, providing tools and information within web browsers.
Similar to this project, these applications allow non-technical users the ability to visualize and
query geospatial information previously inaccessible without a GIS analyst. Development of a
number of the applications discussed here occurred within larger consulting firms with skilled
application developers using proprietary software. These applications are different from this
project in that they are custom software solutions and include more complex and comprehensive
functionality.
Esri’s AGOL is a platform for users to manage, create, store, and access, hosted GIS
services and applications. This project developed its initial map services using AGOL. This
chapter discusses several other applications that also used AGOL, and the end-results are
visually similar to an ArcGIS Desktop environment. A more recent product developed by Esri is
Web AppBuilder. Providing sophisticated templates and widgets to users, this technology creates
applications that are more visually pleasing than previous versions. I developed the applications
for this project using this Web AppBuilder. Including custom widgets allows the VA users quick
access to the GIS data, and limited functionality keeps the application focused on each primary
objective.
This chapter reviews GIS and asset management, GIS and irrigation infrastructure, web-
based GIS applications, and applications created using Esri AGOL or Web AppBuilder. This
9

project incorporates aspects of each of the reviewed topics, and summarizes their similarities or
differences.
2.1 GIS and Asset Management
Historically, GIS has been used to collect, store, and document utility and infrastructure
information. GIS use for asset and utility management grew as hardware and software became
more affordable and user friendly (Hanson 2008). Custom-developed products and
comprehensive solutions are available for users to manage their assets in a variety of
applications.
Many well-known consulting firms create custom asset management software. However,
they offer much more complex functionality than this project, and can include computerized
maintenance management systems, and inspection and monitoring components (Cityworks
2015). Cityworks integrates their application with Esri ArcGIS, as well as open source software.
Aqualogy, now known as Suez Environment, offers a suite of GIS-based asset mapping products
called acqaCIS™. These tools cover a wide range of business processes from billing, customer
service, work orders, asset management, and smart metering (Aqualogy 2015). The products are
out-of-the box software packages and do not focus on one primary use, which differs from this
thesis project.
Other firms provide enterprise asset management software that fully integrates with Esri
ArcGIS. These custom software solutions manage assets, facilities, equipment, and personnel.
Cartegraph markets software as easy to use, and claims that no technical savvy is required
(Cartegraph 2015). In addition to a desktop version, this system is only available to run on an
iPad tablet, and has not been developed for Android-based tablets. Field data collection, notes
and photo attachments, and planning for follow-up task functionality is all included in this
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product. Cartegraph’s software is much more robust than the applications developed for this
project.
Custom extensions developed for ArcMap require users to be trained GIS specialists as
opposed to general users. Futura Systems’s custom extension, FuturaGIS, provides asset
management of electric utility infrastructure data. The system also includes a browser-based
version allowing staff to access information from the field. FuturaGIS integrates into other
business applications including customer management systems and accounting because it was
developed with an open architecture framework. Extensions for ArcMap are designed for an
entirely different user-base than this project, and require experienced GIS staff to run the
products. The two applications for this project are designed for users of all levels of technical
ability – not only GIS specialists.
2.2 GIS and Irrigation Infrastructure
“Precision agriculture software” is a category of applications marketed to the irrigation
industry. These software programs provide technology for both spatial and non-spatial field data,
management, and analysis (Culibrk 2009). The technology is similar to this project because it
creates GIS databases to document irrigation infrastructure. Providing integration with other
systems such as maintenance and crop yields makes these programs different than the
applications developed in this project. Precision agriculture technology assists in the spatial
visualization of various factors affecting farming including crop yields, soil conditions, and
water availability. Three precision agriculture platforms discussed by Culibrk include: Esri
ArcGIS, MapInfo, and Integraph. Mainly the literature focused on Esri’s suite of products
(Culibrk 2009). SST Software develops two custom GIS applications for farming professions
called SSToolbox and SSToolkit. These applications incorporate information related to the
11

agricultural field itself: soil types and fertility, yield results, aerial photos, chemical applications,
and hybrid/variety selections (Culibrk 2009). These two applications do not appear to include
irrigation information into their databases and therefore are not similar to this project.
Additional farming-oriented custom applications provide management solutions for both
the office and field, as well as cloud solutions (Farm Works 2015). FarmWorks™ developed
software that is focused more on crop yields instead of irrigation. This software is compatible
with Trimble’s WM-Drain™, and analyzes surface and sub-surface drainage systems for water
management. It determines pipe sizes based upon specific user input including topography,
depth, and soil drainage (Farms Works 2015). Although it is similar to the applications
developed in this project, it does not manage irrigation infrastructure. FarmWorks™ focuses
predominantly on crop yields and is compatible with several precision farming displays such as
John Deere, Trimble, and Ag Leader.
“Smart irrigation sytems” (SIS) focus solely on irrigation infrastructure, and not the
larger farming-based solutions discussed previously. The VA uses WeatherTrak products for the
majority of their controllers, which fall under the SIS category. These systems operate irrigation
controllers based on existing soil or current weather conditions (Davis 2007). Specific
adjustments or even stopping irrigation based upon this soil or weather information decreases the
amount of over-watering. The WeatherTrak system, developed by HydroPoint, is focused on
decreasing the amount of landscape irrigation water waste. Like other weather-based irrigation
controller technology, these controllers offer zonal scheduling based upon the site’s soil-type,
sprinkler type, slope, sun exposure, and current weather (WeatherTRAK 2015). Their technology
provides weather modeling of both historic and current conditions as well as evapotranspiration
values. Although the VA uses WeatherTrak systems, they do not track where those controllers
12

are located, or when their subscriptions will expire. One of this project’s applications enables
staff to visualize the spatial locations of these controllers as well as view the subscription date
details.
Different from stand-alone products, customized interfaces managing irrigation
infrastructure work directly in ArcGIS. In 1999, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Division of
Irrigation, Power, and Safety of Dams, created a customized interface to ArcGIS Desktop to
manage their irrigation assets called Asset Map Viewer. The design of the application looked
similar to other applications within their existing system (Richardson 2009). Similar to this thesis
project, Asset Map Viewer allows staff members to view and identify various irrigation
components. When Esri changed their GIS file structure from shapefiles to geodatabases, the
Asset Map Viewer was updated to work with ArcGIS Server to utilize the new functionality. The
Asset Map Viewer is robust and integrates with IBM’s Maximo asset management software,
providing work order and task tracking. ArcGIS provides the mapping component so users may
view the spatial locations of the assets managed. The users of this custom-developed tool are
highly technical and experienced with GIS software. Although very comprehensive and useful
for the BIA, this application does not meet the needs of this project because it requires
technically-trained staff. This project was designed for staff at all levels of technical ability, and
to provide limited, focused functionality for each application.
2.3 Web-Based GIS Applications
There is much literature regarding GIS asset mapping as well as GIS web applications,
but very few identified irrigation infrastructure web applications. The article “Web-GIS
Solutions Development for Citizens and Water Companies” (Sercaianu 2013) discusses building
web-GIS solutions for water-related data, and determining the interest and use of those tools by
13

public citizens. Miner (2005) shows how water utilities can enhance workflows by using GIS not
only to map water assets, but to also perform analysis and field-based editing. Tremendous
changes in GIS application technologies available have occurred since this article was written in
2005; therefore the research requires updating. The assimilation of GIS into web applications
now allows users to view, query, and update information without being GIS experts. Since late
2010, Esri’s AGOL mapping program offers user-friendly, Java-based web application templates
to its user community.
Published GIS web applications have grown exponentially over the last two decades
(Haklay, Singleton and Parker 2008). In part due to vast use of the internet, the
acknowledgement that GIS can add value to business processes has also contributed to this
growth (Tait 2005, Veenendaal 2015). This literature review identifies GIS web applications
created in a diverse range of areas: asset management, biological monitoring, climate change,
ecological sensitivity for tourism development, land suitability index mapping, and even
analyzing commercial motor vehicle crashes (Bapna and Gangopadhyay 2005).
The term “smart grid” originally referred to managing an electric power network with
digital technology but now includes mobile and web-based GIS irrigation applications (ESRI
2009). Smart grid can be defined as “enabling data management, planning and analysis, field
collection, and situational awareness (ESRI 2015, 2). A custom smart-grid application from the
China Agricultural University in Beijing utilizes a wireless sensor network to connect to GPS
and GIS technologies through a host personal computer (PC) and personal digital assistants
(PDA). The focus on this particular technology includes irrigation decision making, as well as
basic farmland mapping and visualization. The systems developed by the China Agricultural
University programmed custom mobile systems including PDAs instead of utilizing existing
14

software and server environments, as do the two web applications presented in this thesis project.
Another system developed at the China Agricultural University in 2010 also created their
systems to run on customized PDA units (Zheng et al 2011).
2.4 Esri ArcGIS Online Applications
Developing applications utilizing Esri’s suite of products including readily available
templates and widgets was a goal of this project. Esri, the leading provider of GIS software,
created a service called AGOL allowing users to create online maps or applications to
incorporate their GIS data. AGOL provides the backbone of the two applications created for this
project. AGOL for Water Utilities is a water-focused service Esri offers within their online
platform. This service allows users to manage, create, store, and access, hosted services and
applications. Users subscribe to this service, and then have access to a power-point template to
create an AGOL home page banner, as well icons for each AGOL item. Additionally, a series of
Python scripts are available to assist in creating groups and sharing content within a user’s
AGOL organization. The users are still required to build their data layers and create their
services and applications, unless they contract with Esri to do so. This service did not provide
any useful functionality for the applications of this project.
This literature review describes web applications developed in Esri’s AGOL environment
to compare their usability and functionality to the applications developed for this project. Several
transportation-oriented applications exist including ones developed by the Utah Department of
Transportation (DOT), the Texas DOT, and Bucks County in Pennsylvania. The applications all
focus on primarily on one or two main functionalities for users to explore. These reviewed
applications are similar to this project’s goal because they present users with limited
functionality thereby minimizing user confusion or frustration.
15

The Asset Management Group within the Utah DOT developed a series of online
mapping applications based upon Esri’s AGOL application. Maps available include bike lanes,
billboards, driveways, intersections, and other highway-related assets. When the user selects the
map, an AGOL map service is opened. These maps are very basic, have no custom widgets or
functions, and are each focused on one asset type. For example, Figure 2 shows the driveways
map and displays the driveway type and milepost symbols on the legend.

Figure 2 Utah DOT driveways map. Source: Utah DOT 2015

A user may click on any of the features and a pop-up box shows the attribute information for that
asset. The Asset Management Group’s web maps are similar to this project’s applications
because they are very simple and easy to use. The only functionality available to the users in
addition to the attributes, is the ability to print a map, search for an address or place, or measure a
distance. This study’s application differs in that it will serve an AGOL map service into a web
application interface using Esri’s Web AppBuilder for Developers.
16

The Texas DOT also offers an AGOL map providing one main function – the ability to
view real property asset information. Figure 3 on the following page shows the map, and it is
similar to the previous example shown from Utah’s DOT maps. The Texas DOT map offers
multiple assets on one map, allowing users to view many items. Printing, measuring, or viewing
attributes is also available to users. All of these examples utilized AGOL as their base
development environment, were limited to freely available functions and tools, and maintain the
same look and feel.
Esri’s Web AppBuilder is a follow-up tool to AGOL, and makes the process of creating
GIS-enabled web applications even easier for users. This application takes an AGOL map
service and quickly converts it to a web or mobile application. Built-in widgets, or buttons, and
themes make this application comparable to WYSIWYG-type web development software.
Esri’s Web AppBuilder technology also provides a more polished application interface
for developers to explore. Bucks County in Pennsylvania built two publically accessible web
applications with AGOL and Web AppBuilder. The applications are very basic and provide the
general public the ability to view information such as floodplains, land use, zoning designations,
and parcels. Figure 4 on the follow page shows the straight-forward and easy to use viewers.
Although the applications do not present asset or irrigation-related information, they are similar
to this thesis project because they have very little functionality and one main purpose. The main
difference is that these applications do not include custom widgets such as presenting popup
information in a side-panel.
17

Figure 3 Texas DOT real property asset map. Source: Texas DOT

Figure 4 Bucks County map viewer. Source: Bucks County 2015

18

The City of Mountain View also developed an application offering GIS data to the public
using Esri’s Web AppBuilder environment. Figure 5 shows the City of Mountain View’s zoning
code application. Users can click on the map and view the zoning code for that specific parcel.
The focused functionality of the City of Mountain View’s application is similar to the irrigation
infrastructure applications because they all support one main function. The look and feel of the
City of Mountain View’s application is also similar to those created by this thesis project.

Figure 5 City of Mountain View Zoning Districts Viewer

Overly complex or all-inclusive applications, as discussed previously in this chapter, do
not meet the objectives of this thesis project. This project provides stream-lined applications with
one or two primary functions, a preference of the VA staff. As described further in Chapter 3,
these applications adapted from one comprehensive application, into two specific function-based
applications to better meet the stated needs of the users.

19

Chapter 3 Development
This chapter presents the development of two web applications for the VA’s Palo Alto Division.
Section 3.1 identifies the scope and objectives of this study, followed by Section 3.2 which
documents the process of data collection. Section 3.3 explains how this data was used to create
the irrigation infrastructure geodatabase. Lastly, Section 3.4 describes the development of the
two web applications.
3.1 Scope and Objectives of Study
In January of 2014, Geografika Consulting was contracted by the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto Division (PAD) campus to build a campus GIS base map for their
facility. In addition to the campus base map, freely accessible GIS data layers were compiled.
The facility lacks trained GIS staff to access or update any GIS information. Staff needed access
to web or mobile applications presenting this GIS data. Development tools available from Esri
make it feasible to easily and economically create web applications serving GIS data to all levels
of staff. These new tools eliminate the need to hire a large consulting firm or purchasing
expensive software. This study created two irrigation infrastructure applications demonstrating to
the PAD staff the benefits of GIS and how accessing updated and accurate information can save
staff time and money.
Historically, GIS was used to collect, store, and document utility and infrastructure
information. Using GIS to manage assets and utilities is more prevalent now as hardware and
software are more affordable and user friendly (Hanson 2008). The main objective of this study
is to enable non-technical staff access to view and locate irrigation infrastructure information in
easy-to-use GIS web applications. The two applications are accessible on web browsers or
mobile devices. The potential users include the maintenance staff, landscape architect,
20

mechanical engineers, and facility planners at PAD. The PAHCS includes three main campuses,
and PAD is the pilot study area for evaluating GIS web applications. Upon completion, a similar
process will occur at the Menlo Park Division campus. The last campus, Livermore, is slated for
closure so replicating this process there will not occur.
Developed as the first part of a greater asset management system, it is desired to
incorporate domestic water, electrical, gas and steam pipelines into web-based applications. The
VA’s internal Geoportal will host the applications. Esri’s Geoportal Server, introduced in 2012,
enables organizations to manage and publish GIS data and metadata (Mitsova 2013). The VA
introduced this environment nation-wide in January 2016.
The landscape architect identified the goal of tracking irrigation controller type and
subscription information on a GIS web application. The first web application meets this goal by
collecting irrigation controller locations, links to pictures and as-built construction drawings, and
attributes regarding the controllers themselves. Staff members also requested the ability to
quickly identify shut off locations to turn water off when there is a line break or leak. Employees
need to be informed when lines have been or may be impacted by the major construction
occurring on this site. The second web application fulfills this need by incorporating irrigation
shut off information such as back flow locations, gate valves locations, and their respective
areas. These applications allow staff members the ability to quickly and accurately locate
irrigation equipment without relying on outdated CAD drawings, or inaccurate as-built drawings.
A backflow prevention device is used to protect potable water supplies from
contamination due to back flow. A major back flow preventer located at PAD is connected
where the irrigation pipe loop meets the city of Palo Alto’s water system. The back flow can be
used to shut off the water supply to the loop. Smaller back flow preventers are used when the
21

irrigation systems is connecting to an internal domestic water line on campus (instead of the
irrigation loop). Gate valves are also used to control the flow of water, but they are not sufficient
to stop back flow. They provide shut off at the next level within the hierarchy of a system after
the back flow preventer. They are used to shut off the sub-sections within an irrigation area that
receives its water off the irrigation loop. Back flow preventers can still be open, but a smaller
area within the system is isolated by the gate valve. According to the landscape architect at the
VA, there does not need to be a relationship set between back flows and gate valves (Fong
2016).
Both applications are publically accessible from a computer, tablet, or mobile device via
a web-browser since the landscape maintenance crew does not have access to the secure VA
server. Users who do have access to files within the VA firewall still face challenges when trying
to identify irrigation infrastructure drawings. Both electronic and hardcopy file storage at the
campus is not well organized and difficult to navigate, so it may be hours to days before the
proper locations are identified. These applications address those challenges by providing up-to-
date information and links to construction and as-built drawings.
Most of the irrigation controllers on campus are subscribing to a weather service through
WeatherTRAK and maintenance engineers need to track those subscription dates. This is
important because the subscription is fee-based. Several of the controllers are no longer
connected to the service physically, yet the VA is still paying the associated fees. The second
application of this project identifies the WeatherTrak irrigation controllers, as well as their
subscription dates. Managing this information allows the VA to incorporate the subscription fees
into their annual budgets.

22

3.2 Data Collection and Geodatabase Creation
PAD is currently undergoing an immense amount of construction which impacts the
irrigation infrastructure system. Orthorectified aerial photography flown in mid-2014 provided
the foundation for an accurate GIS basemap. From this first aerial, land cover types were
digitized into 6 main types including: building, pedestrian or vehicular paved, improved or
unimproved landscaping, or under construction. Orthophotography is scheduled to occur
quarterly, to maintain the continuous revisions required to the GIS basemap.
3.2.1. Irrigation Controller Geodatabase
After creating the campus GIS basemap, the irrigation infrastructure database was
designed with assistance from the VA’s landscape architect. An existing irrigation controller
spreadsheet developed by a maintenance engineer inventoried controllers and their associated
numbers, manufacturer, serial number, and relative location on campus. No maps were
associated with this information. Maintenance and engineering staff would benefit from knowing
the actual physical location of the irrigation controllers. The database meets this need, storing the
requested information in GIS. The landscape architect identified back flow information as an
important data layer for inclusion in the geodatabase as well. Figure 6 on the following page
presents the initial irrigation database structure.
The PAD campus was surveyed with a landscape architect and a maintenance crew
member to gather the irrigation controller information. Using an Ike surveying system, attribute
information, photos, and controller charts were collected at each irrigation controller location.
The maintenance crew confirmed or updated the information collected, including manufacturer,
model, and serial number. If the controller was manufactured by WeatherTrak, then the attributes
included the service installation date. Importing the GPS points into a new file geodatabase
23

Figure 6 Irrigation Database Design

allowed feature attachments to be included. These attachments include irrigation charts, as-built
drawings, and construction drawings. Creating links between the photos of the controllers to the
GPS points allows users to view this information when clicking on a controller point. Staff
sketched on a large map the areas controlled by each irrigation controller. Figure 7 shows a
reviewed map. The hand-drawn irrigated areas were digitized into the geodatabase as

Figure 7 Staff member review document.
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polygon features and attributed with their respective irrigation controller labels. Figure 8 shows
the irrigation controller and areas developed map.

Figure 8 Irrigation controllers and areas. Source: Megan Gosch 2015

3.2.2. Gate Valve Geodatabase
Documenting the back flow valve locations differed from the irrigation controllers
because GPS technology was not used. The maintenance crew mapped the point and polygon
locations on a hard-copy plot, and these were digitized into the GIS database. Staff determined it
was not necessary to include photos or .pdfs for the gate valves at this time. Figure 9 on the
following page shows the back flow locations and areas digitized from the hand-drawn maps.

25

Figure 9 Back flow locations and areas. Source: Megan Gosch 2015

Presentation of the compiled data occurred to a large group that included the landscape
architect, PAD maintenance supervisor, the Chief of Engineering and two engineers from PAD,
as well as the maintenance supervisor and maintenance staff from the Menlo Park Division
campus. The presentation was well-received as it was the first time this irrigation information
was presented spatially. The maintenance supervisor recommended that another level of detail be
included in the mapping project: gate valve locations. The landscape architect, the PAD
maintenance supervisor and I met again to hand draw the gate valve locations and their
respective areas onto a hard copy plot of the campus. After digitizing this information into the
geodatabase, it was received for final review by staff members in December 2015. All
subsequent edits were completed in January 2016. Figure 10 on the following page shows the
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gate valve database design. Figure 11 shows the Gate Valve Locations and Areas map.

Figure 10 Gate Valve Database Design

Figure 11 Gate valve locations and areas. Source: Megan Gosch 2015

27

3.3 Application Development
Compiling the irrigation infrastructure GIS into web applications for the PAD campus
was important as they are the first GIS web applications created for this campus. The
applications add much value to the client by enabling staff members to quickly access accurate
and updated data. Previously maintenance crew requested information from engineers, most
often in hard-copy map form. The engineers then navigated through a very complicated and
unorganized CAD file structure to try to identify the information requested. Now this
information will be available to everyone, in an easy-to-use format.
Creating two GIS web applications for the collected irrigation information was simplified
by utilizing Esri’s AGOL Web AppBuilder for Developers. The applications include: point data
(irrigation controllers, back flows, and gate valves) and polygon data (buildings, and areas
controlled by each specific irrigation controller, back flow, or gate valve). Designing the user
interfaces for these applications for a very low technical skill level allows all employee the
ability to use the tools. They are essentially a “point and click” application where the user only
needs to move their mouse to the valve or area location, click on the point or polygon, and a list
of attributes displays on the screen. Crew members with little technical experience can be easily
trained in the use of these applications.
3.3.1. Programming
A USC GIST virtual machine provided the development environment for all the maps
and applications. A single map document in ArcGIS Desktop version 10.3 includes all of
datasets created for this study. During this process, I designed the display and labeling of each
data layer. Additionally, identifying relates between layers allows for creating queries in the web
applications. Sharing this map document as a service to USC SSI’s Arc GIS On-Line account
28

provides the input needed to create the two web maps: Irrigation Controllers – Map Viewer and
Irrigation Shut Off Locations - Map Viewer.
Sharing these two map viewers enables development of the web applications in Esri’s
Web AppBuilder for Developers environment. Creating a development version on the virtual
machine for building and testing the web applications resulted in a few problems. Esri
technicians assisted and correctly installed the software and defined the development
environment required.
3.3.1.1. Irrigation Controller - Map Application
Developing both applications from the same template provides a consistent look and feel
to the users. Figure 12 shows how the Irrigation Controller – Map Application initially launches
with the legend items displayed. This screen orients the user to the Palo Alto Division Campus
and introduces the mapping data sets available in this application.

Figure 12 Irrigation Controller Map Application
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Users may view the applications on a mobile device, causing the displayed map area to
be quite small. Programming the pop-ups to open on the left-side panel of the application when a
user clicks on a widget ensures that the entire map is viewable. Downloading a user-created
custom widget identified on Esri’s GeoNet community page allowed for this functionality
(Scheitlin 2016). The second widget on the application is the Layers button. Clicking this button
presents the available layers the user may view, including an image tile service created from the
most recently flown aerial photography of this site. This is very useful because the Esri Image
service base map is outdated, and doesn’t reflect current conditions of this site. Figure 13 shows
the aerial imagery on the map application.

Figure 13 Aerial Imagery
The third widget, a custom-designed irrigation sprinkler icon, brings the user to the
controller information page. From this location the user clicks on the map to view the attribute
information of the feature selected. The side panel displays the controller number, all of the
30

attributes collected for that item such as model and manufacturer, feature attachments associated
with that controller, as well as an image of the actual controller. Figure 14 shows the information
associated with irrigation controller number 21. Figure 15 on the following page shows the
construction drawing feature attachment for controller 21.

Figure 14 Controller Information

The fourth widget, controller search, performs a preset query on the controller
manufacturer information. Configuring this query to provide a drop-down list of irrigation
controller manufacturers allows the user to select a specific manufacturer and view the
corresponding results on the map. This is useful function because all the WeatherTrak controllers
require a paid subscription service. Knowing the locations of those controllers are located and
whether or not they are currently being used in the appropriate capacity would save the VA
money.
31

Figure 15 Construction Drawing

Figure 16 shows the results of applying this query. The information panel also displays the
attribute information about each of those controllers. Clicking on one result will zoom the map
into that specific controller location.

Figure 16 Controller Manufacturer Search Results
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3.3.1.2. Irrigation Shut Off Locations – Map Application
As discussed previously, using the same template to create both applications provides
consistency for the users. The Irrigation Shut Off Locations application launches with the legend
items displayed. Figure 17 shows the home page of the Irrigation Shut Off Locations – Map
Viewer.

Figure 17 Irrigation Shut off Locations – Map Viewer
As both the layers page and the print page contain the same functionality as the Irrigation
Controller application, those screens are not presented here. The third widget, depicting an image
of a valve, identifies this as the shut off information widget. When a user clicks on this widget,
they then click on a feature on the map to see the features attributes. Figure 18 on the following
page shows the results of a user clicking on Shut Off G88-C.
33

Figure 18 Irrigation Shut Off G88-C Click Results
3.3.2. Programming Challenges
One challenge immediately obvious was when users clicked on an area, the pop-up box
covered up the map so they could no longer see the feature they were selecting. A custom widget
was identified through the Esri Community Geonet website. The widget is called Popup Panel
Widget Version 1.3, created by Robert Scheitlin, GISP. This widget was based upon the “Popup
content in side panel” JavaScript API (Scheitlin 2015). The widget created a side-panel pop up
so that the attribute information no longer covered over the map features. This was important
because if the user is viewing the application on a mobile device, the map area is already smaller
than on a computer’s monitor. The application needs to allow for easy viewing of attribute
information, and yet still provide a view of the geographic location of the features as well.
Another challenge encountered was the ability to have a user click on a polygon, and
have its related point feature highlighted on the map. In a telephone conversation with Preeti
Gupta, an Esri technical support analyst, on January 22, 2016, she acknowledged that this ability
34

is not supported in the current version the Web AppBuilder. This known bug, BUG-000087466,
states that applications built with Web AppBuilder do not support related tables, and two
enhancements have been identified for the next release of the software: ENH-000091041 and
ENH-000082871 (Gupta 2016). Additionally, a blog entry was created on the GeoNet Esri
Community page (Gosch, Megan, post to “Identify Related Point by Polygon Feature,” January
18, 2016, Geonet.com, https://geonet.esri.com/thread/170960#comments). This documented bug
is a bit misleading though, as the Query function does allow for related table information to be
presented in the pop-up. However it is the functionality of the Identify command available in the
ArcMap Desktop version that is required in this application. The Identify tool allows a user to
click on a feature, and its related features are then presented in the pop-up box. If the user clicks
on a related feature attribute in that pop-up box, that feature is highlighted on the map. Due to
programming skill limitations, developing a custom widget allowing for this desired
functionality did not occur.

35

Chapter 4 Application Evaluation
Chapter 4 presents the application evaluation process. Section 4.1 discusses the original intent of
the project and how it changed over time. Section 4.2 describes the how individuals were
identified to be evaluators of the application. Lastly, Section 4.3 presents the user survey form
and summarizes the results of the respondents’ answers.
4.1 Original Project Intent
Creating one web application allowing users to turn on and off layers for both irrigation
controllers and shut off locations was the original intention of the project. Staff members
preferred to have the functionality separated into two applications. As the two datasets are used
for different purposes, it was more complicated requiring users to turn on and off the layers in
order to query the information they wanted to view. Having the irrigation controller information
in one application allows users to view information about those controllers and their respective
areas. This application is used for more informational purposes.
The second application is used specifically for shut off information. When a shut off
location needs to be identified, potentially during a water leak or line break, this application
provides that functionality. Having one application for just this purpose makes it easier on the
user so they do not have to ensure that the proper layers are turned on, or that they are selecting
the appropriate query button. Each application has 2 or 3 widgets to query or view attribute
information, minimizing the potential for user error or frustration. This also allows all staff,
regardless of technical skill level, to use the applications.

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4.2 Evaluator Identification
Identifying a user evaluation committee ensured that the two applications met the goals
previously identified in Chapter 1. Throughout the entire process of developing the irrigation
infrastructure databases and applications, the maintenance crew provided feedback and
comments. Already familiar with the functionality of the applications, they declined participating
in the committee. Three other individuals were identified to test and evaluate the two irrigation
applications. The Associate Chief of Engineering was not involved in the development process
but expressed interest in joining the user evaluation committee. This individual reports to the
Chief of Engineering and was crucial in advocating this and future GIS applications to the Chief
as well as other management at PAD.
The second committee member, the Supervisory Engineer from the Office of Facility
Planning for PAD, also reported to the Chief of Engineering. This person is a long-time
employee of the VA and is well-known and respected within the office. Additionally, as a larger
supporter of GIS, he is another great advocate for these and additional GIS web applications.
Lastly, the landscape architect asked to be a user to test these applications. Although she
had been involved throughout the entire process as well, she had a limited hands-on GIS
knowledge so could provide important feedback about the usability of the applications.
On January 27, 2016, I presented both applications to the user group along with a user
guide created for each application, included in Appendixes A and B, respectively. Presenting the
background information about this project provided context to the user group. Reviewing the
data creation process explained the reasoning behind including only specific asset types at this
time. While demonstrating both applications step-by-step, users followed along with the user-
37

guides. Reviewing the user survey forms at the end of the meeting ensured that there were no
questions and that everyone understood the expectations.
The following day links to the application, the user guides, and the user survey forms
were distributed by email to the user group. Users had one week to test the application, and
return the user survey form by Friday, February 5, 2016.
4.3 User Survey Form
After researching user satisfaction and application usability questionnaires, the user
survey form was developed. Two previous studies provided useful input about keeping the
surveys short and to the point, as well as easy for the user to fill out (Chin et al, 1988; Lund
2008). Creating the user survey form in Adobe Form keeps everything digital and easy to
retrieve. Appendix B includes full user survey form. The first set of questions focused on the
usefulness of the applications, including their effectiveness, ability to save the user time, if they
met the users’ needs, and did everything the user expected them to. Figure 19 shows Question 1
and its responses.

Figure 19 User Survey Form Question 1 and Responses
0
1
2
3
They could help
me be more
effective
They could save
me time when I
use them
They meet my
needs
They do
everything I
would expect
them to
The irrigation
controller
application is
useful
The shut off
locations
application is
useful
Total Respondents
Responses
Usefulness of Applications
Agree Strongly Agree
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If users answered Question 1 “disagree” or “strongly disagree”, Question 2 requests more
information. Question 3 asks respondents if there is more or different functionality they would
like to see in the applications. Figure 20 shows Questions 2 and 3. These questions were
designed to solicit more specific feedback from the users, as well allow for more information
regarding enhanced functionality suggestions.

Figure 20 User Survey Form Questions 2 and 3

No respondent answered Question 1 “disagree” or “strongly disagree”, so Question 2 was left
blank. Question 3 answers included the ability to have an associated irrigation area highlighted
when the user clicks on a controller, and vice versa. Also suggested was the inclusion of
irrigation lines, pipe sizes and other pipeline information.
Question 4 inquired about the applications ease of use. Figure 21 on the following page
shows the specifics of Question 4 and its responses. Question 5 focused on the users’ overall
satisfaction with the application. Figure 22 on the following page shows the options of Question
5 and the results.

39

Figure 21 User Survey Form Question 4 and Responses

Figure 22 Question 5 and Responses
The remaining questions again asked for specific feedback if the user responded with a
“disagree” or “strongly disagree” selection, as well as prompting the user to think of any other
0
1
2
3
Navigate around the
application
View specific
information
Determine which point
controlled an area
Perform a search
Total Respondents
Responses
Application Ease of Use
Moderately Easy Easily
0
1
2
3
I am satisfied with it I would recommend it
to a coworker
It works the way I want
it to work
I was able to find the
information I was
looking for
Total Respondents
Responses
Overall Satisfaction
Agree Strongly Agree
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functions in their respective jobs that would benefit from this type of web application. An open
ended question regarding any other comments or suggestions finalized this survey. Figure 23
shows Questions 6, 7 and 8.

Figure 23 User Survey Form Questions 6 through 8

There were no “disagree” or “strongly disagree” answers for Question 5, therefore
Question 6 was not answered. Question 7 responses included: a tree inventory and management
application, as well the ability to isolate sections of water mains. Question 8 received several
responses including: the inclusion of a HELP button or table to provide general information such
as the naming system for files; and instructions for printing and the inclusion of the embedded
data (pictures or charts) when printing. The most positive comment collected was: “Excellent
application that is extremely useful, saves time and money and allows better service and
response.”
Feedback supplied from the testing phase was into the final versions of the applications,
when possible. For example, the main comment regarding the ability to “Identify” a related
object has already been discussed in Chapter 3, section 3.2 Programming Challenges. Working
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with a GIS developer to create a custom widget to enable the “Identify” processes for these
applications has not yet produced the proper functionality.
Including an information button in the final version of the Irrigation Shut Off Locations
application addressed the feedback regarding labels and instructions. The information screen
provides background information about the applications, how the datasets were created, as well
as the naming system conventions. Also included on this screen are printing instructions. Figure
24 shows the added fifth widget and associated pop-up information.

Figure 24 Information Screen
The feedback provided validated that the main objective of this project was met: creating
an easy-to-use web application saving staff members time by increasing their efficiency in
identifying shut off locations when needed. It also generated more interest in GIS and how it
could be used for additional applications throughout the facility.
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The applications are hosted on USC’s AGOL account, but will be transferred over to the
VA’s internal Geoportal within their secure firewall, as discussed in Chapter 5 Technology
Transfer. Updates will occur quarterly, or as construction necessitates, by myself.

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Chapter 5 Technology Transfer
The VA PAD, Office of Facility Planning and Development did not have Esri’s ArcGIS Desktop
software installed when this project was initiated. As a consultant to the VA, Geografika
Consulting made available an ArcGIS Desktop license, and this software was installed on
February 17, 2016. This chapter presents how the technology will be transferred from USC SSI’s
AGOL and virtual machine environment where the two applications are currently hosted, to the
VA’s internal Geoportal environment. There is no plan to train other individuals in the data
creation or maintenance of the applications at this time as Geografika Consulting is currently
under contract until February 2018. Ideally there would be at least one person who will
understand the technology and be able to assist in additional asset GIS development. The VA
needs to hire an individual with GIS experience; however that has not yet occurred.
The VA has committed to using Esri products for all GIS mapping needs. In January
2016, the VA’s Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW), based in Washington DC, rolled out a
Geoportal Server environmental for certain identified staff members to utilize. Michael
Villenueve, GIS/Data Manager of the CDW, has agreed to host the two irrigation infrastructure
applications on the VA’s Geoportal. Mr. Villenueve stated that he wanted the applications
delivered as templates as well, so other VA staff may use them for their asset management
applications.
All of the GIS data created, as well as the ArcMap .mxd and the Esri Web AppBuilder
applications, are downloaded and saved onto the PAD VA server. The applications will be sent
to Mr. Villenueve for inclusion on the VA’s Geoportal. Updates to irrigation data will occur on
the VA PAD workstation, at a minimum quarterly. If a major change in irrigation infrastructure
occurs, such as a complete line being turned off or relocated, then the maintenance staff will
44

notify me to make the changes accordingly. Updates occur within an ArcMap environment
directly to the feature data, which are then shared as a map service to the VA’s Geoportal, and
finally the applications dynamically update as well.
The applications will be saved as templates on the VA’s Geoportal, enabling other VA
campuses to access them. By following the geodatabase structure used in this project, other
offices can create their own geodatabase to populate these applications templates. For example,
if the Loma Linda campus creates an irrigation controller database using the same naming
structure and attributes, they can create a map service in Geoportal, and use this project’s
Irrigation Controller Map Application template to create a new application for their specific site.

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Chapter 6 Conclusion and Future Work
This chapter discusses how implementing irrigation infrastructure applications contribute to
work efficiency at the VA PAD campus, and how the project meets the goals identified in
Chapter 1. Section 6.1 describes how the VA benefits from the development of these
applications. Section 6.2 presents how this project met its goals. Section 6.3 discusses how these
applications can be developed further to meet the suggestions collected from the user survey.
Lastly, Section 6.4 discusses how the development of these applications can be implemented for
other assets within the VA PAD.
6.1 Impact
The VA PAD is a large campus with a multitude of assets requiring management. Due in
part to staff turnover, and partly due to an unorganized file storage structure, it is difficult and
time-consuming to locate digital data (CAD) or hard-copy drawings identifying locations of
various assets. Additionally, this campus is undergoing a significant amount of construction
which impacts the existing infrastructure. A lack of staff knowledge about the location of
irrigation infrastructure has caused water lines to be broken, and irrigation controllers to be
unknowingly disconnected. The first application enables staff to quickly identify the locations of
existing irrigation controllers and to determine if construction will require moving a controller,
or discontinuing its fee-based subscription service of satellite weather information. By
preventing the disruption of irrigation lines, cost savings can be realized.
The second application allows staff to view all the shut off locations for irrigation
infrastructure on campus. If a water line break occurs, a user can very quickly visually identify
the back flow or gate valve location to turn off the water to that area. Both of these applications
46

build the knowledge of staff, thereby reducing the cost and time previously required to identify
these asset locations.
6.2 Goals Achieved
These applications achieve the goal identified in Chapter 1 of providing an alternative to
locating hard-copy paper or digital CAD maps to identify irrigation infrastructure assets. The
development of two user-friendly and focused web applications helps achieve the goal of
creating applications that are usable by staff with limited technology skills. Using the Esri suite
of products allows for the easy transfer of the applications to the existing VA GIS Geoportal
server. This provides for easy updates and management of these applications over time.
Additionally, the VA has committed to using Esri products for facility mapping, so these
applications are consistent with efforts occurring VA-wide.
The user responses and feedback provided through the survey indicated that the
applications were easy to use and successfully met their desired purposes. Suggestions for other
data types and attributes to include in additional applications were identified as well. Verbal
feedback received during the presentation discussing additional assets that would benefit from
these type of applications achieved the desired goal of illustrating the benefits of GIS technology
to staff.
6.3 Future Improvements
The main functionality desired by the users is the inclusion of a widget to identify asset
features. If a user clicks on a polygon, its related point feature would be highlighted. The
application now requires users having to locate the point themselves by reading the attribute
information on the side panel and finding the associated point. At the time this project was
47

completed, Esri’s Web AppBuilder did not support this function, and was catalogued as a known
future enhancement by Esri.
Continued work with a GIS Developer will ultimately result in this functionality being
added to the applications. At the time of this report, the custom widget is still being configured.
The javascript code from Esri’s Identity function was used as the starting point for this widget. A
relationship has been set between the shut off points and polygons. The attributes are being
returned by a related record query by creating a new feature layer object. The final stage will be
writing code so that the related feature is highlighted on the map. Therefore, when a user clicks
a polygon, a “on-click” query will occur returning the related features attributes, and ultimately
highlight that feature on the map.
Additionally, incorporating the linear irrigation pipeline features into the GIS database
will improve these applications. Allowing users to identify pipes locations to proactively prevent
line breaks during construction, as opposed to identifying shut off locations after a break has
occurred, will increase the application’s utility. The ability to check this information through a
web-browser while out in the field at a construction site would be very beneficial to staff.
Importing high-accuracy CAD maps into the geodatabase would provide a level of
precision greater than the existing data sets currently provide. The majority of the CAD data
reviewed from the VA does not have spatial references and therefore require a complicated and
timely import process. However, the new as-built drawings supplied by the contractors can be
required to have a spatial reference, which makes it much easier to bring this information into
GIS. This is beneficial because engineering-level and as-built construction drawings must reflect
what is currently on the ground. This would allow for a more accurate placement of shut off and
gate valve locations as they would be located directly on the pipelines themselves. The GIS
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datasets created for this project are digitized and therefore are showing relative locations of
features, not precise locations. The spatial accuracy and use provisions for the project-created
GIS data are specified in their respective metadata.
Future work could entail writing the correct language to be included in construction
deliverable sections of new contracts for the VA. This language would specify that all CAD
deliverable require spatial references, preferably into California Stat Plane, NAD 83, Zone III,
feet. There is a tool within ArcMap, the Cad to Geodatabase Conversion tool, which creates new
feature datasets into an existing geodatabase including annotation.
If no spatial reference exists in the CAD files, then a universal project file needs to be
created. This can be difficult sometimes when trying to figure out the units used when creating
the CAD file. The book, Lining Up Data in ArcGIS by Margaret Maher, provides techniques to
identify data projections, and create the custom projections required to align CAD data (Maher
2013).
Lastly, training a staff member to update the GIS data and map services would reduce the
dependency on one individual to make all of the changes required. As noted previously, the VA
PAD campus does not currently employ another individual with GIS expertise, but that may
change in the future.
6.4 Applying Geospatial Web Applications for other VA assets
One individual suggested including domestic water infrastructure information as well as
irrigation infrastructure assets to the GIS database during the user presentation. This suggestion
supports the project goal of illustrating the benefits of GIS technology and increasing GIS usage
by the VA. Noting the locations of domestic water pipes as well as their entry points into
buildings provides another valuable asset management tool for VA staff. Future work could
49

include importing the spatially-referenced CAD drawings for domestic water pipelines. First the
CAD file would need to be identified with the assistance of a project engineer. Then the
information would be imported into ArcGIS as feature datasets. Determining naming
conventions would be an important step, and would require input from the maintenance and
project engineering staff as well. Maintaining consistency across disciplines allows for easier
use of the information once it is available with a web application. Creating an enterprise-level
geodatabase consisting of all the water-related assets would be an important step in providing
tools to staff to increase productivity, saving the VA time and money.
Additional utility infrastructure, such as electricity, gas, and oxygen pipelines could also
be incorporated into the GIS database and be available to users through web applications. This
information would be particularly useful for field staff at construction sites to review before
excavation or trenching activities occur.
At this time these applications are focused on external grounds assets, however another
significant asset management potential is including internal building features: fire extinguishers,
oxygen tanks, automated external defibrillators, and safety wash locations are but a few of the
potential assets. Creating templates from the irrigation infrastructure web applications allows the
technology to be applied to other assets located at the VA campus.

50

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Appendix A: Irrigation Controllers – Map Application User Guide

54

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Appendix B: Irrigation Controllers – Shut Off Locations User Guide

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Appendix C: User Survey Form

59

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Asset management systems can save organizations time and money by enabling staff access to well-organized and easily retrievable information. Visualizing the physical and contextual locations of these assets in a geospatial application increases the understanding and efficiency of staff. Often times, Geographic Information Specialist (GIS) analysts create and maintain asset information using specialized software programs, however these software platforms are often not user-friendly to non-GIS practitioners. Consequently, comprehension and adoption of GIS technologies requires special training and hands-on experience. The benefits of managing this information in GIS may not be realized if others cannot access the data. This thesis presents two easy-to-use GIS web applications developed for non-GIS staff at the VA Palo Alto campus to visualize and better understand the geospatial context and data of their 93-acre campus facility. The applications focus on irrigation infrastructure and include: irrigation controllers, back flow valves, gate valves, and all of their respective areas. Users can quickly locate shut off locations of irrigation pipelines when an immediate need arises such as a line break or a required maintenance activity. The applications developed for this thesis provide a template for managing other utility assets through web applications for the VA Palo Alto campus.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Gosch, Megan Theresa (author)

Core Title Geospatial web application development to access irrigation asset data: Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System

School College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Degree Master of Science

Degree Program Geographic Information Science and Technology

Publication Date 04/19/2016

Defense Date 03/21/2016

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag asset management,geospatial,Infrastructure,OAI-PMH Harvest,veterans,web applications

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Ruddell, Darren (committee chair), Swift, Jennifer (committee member), Vos, Robert (committee member)

Creator Email megan@geografika.com,mgosch@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-232139

Unique identifier UC11278252

Identifier etd-GoschMegan-4286.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-232139 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-GoschMegan-4286.pdf

Dmrecord 232139

Document Type Thesis

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Gosch, Megan Theresa

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA