Service Response Efficiency: How a Large Water District Utilized GIS Location-Allocation Analysis to Reduce Maintenance Crew Transit Times and Improve Productivity

Author: Bruce W. Rankin
Organization: East Bay Municipal Utility District

375 11th Street
PO Box 24055
Oakland, CA 94607
USA

Phone: (510) 287-0284
Fax: (510) 287-0373
brankin@ebmud.com

The East Bay Municipal Utility District is a large public water and wastewater district encompassing a portion of two heavily populated counties in northern California. In order to reduce the time crews spend driving to job sites, district staff began looking at the efficiency of its service centers for handling maintenance activities throughout the district. A GIS location-allocation analysis became the foundation and basis of the study. Using GIS technology, the district was able to model its entire maintenance program, identify/quantify the inefficiencies, and determine what modifications would be necessary in order to reduce its nonproductive hours by up to 30 percent.