Newswise — Soon Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering students at Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, will be able to outline many of the mazes of water lines that were buried under tiny South Jersey boroughs or sprawling North Jersey cities back when the students were sprouting their first teeth – or their great-great parents were learning to walk.
Fifteen undergraduate and graduate students working this summer under their professor, Dr. Rouzbeh Nazari, are conducting studies for Voorhees-based New Jersey American Water to develop a database that tracks 120 years’ worth of the company’s information, digitizing tens of thousands of reams of paper.
The paperwork represents the evolution of what has become the largest water company in the Garden State, with a network of nearly 9,000 miles of pipe in the ground. About 15 percent of that pipe is between 100 and 140 years old. After training by water company personnel, students are developing a searchable database of more than 800,000 records that, among other things, will indicate important details about the pipes, including their age, location and the types of materials of which they are made. Information that, in many cases, today exists on old hand-drawn “flash cards” soon will be accessible online, a major plus when storms hit or other emergencies occur and water company teams need data immediately. When necessary, students will interpret scanned engineering drawings to enhance the information.
Such online Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data proved its worth when Super Storm Sandy buried a barrier island’s water infrastructure under several feet and tons of sand and debris. GIS data allowed water company crews to locate assets with an incredible degree of accuracy, minimizing the amount of digging.
Chris Kahn, senior GIS project manager for the water company, said the current project will enable more accurate reporting, mapping and instant information delivery to workers in the field. With this work combined with a 9,000-mile precise surveying project, the company envisions a future of eliminating information-related work delays and fewer water mains struck accidentally by other utility companies.
The project reflects the water company’s ongoing commitment to water technology education, providing Rowan with $95,000 in funding and the necessary computer equipment. The company also is funding 15 students at Hopeworks ‘N Camden to work on the project. Rowan students are mentoring and teaching students from Hopeworks, a nonprofit organization that provides advanced training in web design, GIS and Salesforce.
Nazari said Rowan’s civil and environmental engineering and electrical and computer engineering students are gaining experience in a real-world environment. “They get a sense of engineering work building this impressive database,” he noted. “This is excellent preparation for their careers.”
About New Jersey American Water
New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.7 million people. American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. Marking its 130th anniversary this year, the company employs 6,700 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found at http://www.amwater.com.
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