Integrating GIS with Stormwater modelling software

[geosavvy]

I work for a municipality and we are beginning a city-wide survey in an attempt to update our infrastructure inventory. All data will be catalogued in an ArcGIS database.

We would like to utilize the data to model stormwater runoff of the entire city so that we can isolate existing flood issues, and to a greater extent, so that we can attempt to quantify the effects of new development on our existing infrastructure (in areas that are not adjacent to the development, or otherwise not immediately obvious)

We want to be sure that we are collecting the correect data and that the data is collected in a format that is compatible with the modelling sofware. The problem is that we do not currently have any modelling software of this caliber, nor do we know which software package would best suit our needs.

I have begun doing research on the subject. I have used SWMM and I feel that it would potentially be a good solution from a modelling standpoint. However, in and of itself, SWMM does not provide direct integration with ArcGIS. There are at least 3 or 4 larger softwater packages on the market that appear to utilize the SWMM engine and claim to integrate with GIS.

What I am unable to discern is the capacity to which these programs integrate with GIS. Will I ultimately be able to open up GIS, run a 25-year event and see the effect? When updated infrastructure is uploaded to GIS will the stormwater model be automatically updated? How much customization is required up front to get the model into an automated mode? Etc.

My questions extend to anyone who has used stormwater modelling software that is integreated with GIS. I would love to get some feedback regarding the level of integration and some thoughts on which software packages do a good job of this.

So far I have researched: StormNET, PCSWMM.NET, infoSWMM, and WMS. The costs vary widly from about $2000 to about $20,000.

Thanks for the help,
Dan

 

[francesca]

I have used WMS and it's great. It is its own GIS engine and can import and use ESRI shapefiles. I believe it's on the upper end of the $-scale, however.

Have you looked at HEC-GeoHMS?

http://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-geohms/index.html

It is unbeatable on price, though I haven't used it so cannot tell you how well it works.

 

[elev8848]

Hi geosavvy,

As the ease and power of SWMM5 (over older DOS based SWMM4) is being discovered by engineers, the application will be very popular within a year or so. As of now, I haven't found free tools to convert ArcGIS shapefiles of a pipe and manhole network to SWMM5 text input files. But that is forseeable in the near future. Otherwise, the proprietary versions are always there.

No matter what modelling software you will end up using, the GIS should capture the basic parameters of a sewer network: Length, pipe size, shape, manhole depth, ground elevation...

You better find that here:
GIS applications for water, wastewater, and stormwater systems <2005>
Author: Shamsi, U. M. (Uzair M.)
Published: Boca Raton, FL : Taylor & Francis, c2005

my 1.5 cents