Using a GIS Total Model to Quantitatively Analyze Pipeline Route Alternatives

2024 Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science™ Awards Competition Winner - Honor Award in Planning

Webinar Summary

Using a GIS Total Model to Quantitatively Analyze Pipeline Route Alternatives 

The Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority (PRMRWSA) is expanding its regional interconnecting pipelines to serve the growing needs of its member utilities, customers, and partners.  As a component of this program Kimley-Horn was authorized to perform a Feasibility and Routing Study for the Regional Integrated Loop Phase 2B and 2C Pipelines Project.

In performing this routing study, the goal was to make the evaluation and ranking of alternative routes through this largely urban area on the SW coast of Florida as objective and quantitative as possible.  The key was to establish non-direct cost criteria, that is, factors that do have a cost, but the cost is hard to define, and not directly related to construction, therefore identified as “non-direct” costs.  The team collected, combined, and evaluated GIS data from multiple sources (Sarasota County, Charlotte County, City of North Port, FDOT, SWFWMD, FDEP, and property appraisers) into a custom GIS database a GIS Total Model).  Field reconnaissance was performed to augment the GIS data with additional information not available in agency GIS data bases.  The possible route alternatives were prescreened and broken down into manageable route segments for detailed analysis.  Each segment was analyzed for intersections with pertinent GIS information and a calculated score for non-direct cost factors was determined for each segment as well as the comparative direct cost.  The individual segments were then combined into feasible routes providing maximum regional benefit.  The shortlisted routes were then ranked by the resulting score for regional benefit, non-direct cost, and direct cost.  The result was a robust and defensible quantitative analysis and ranking of alternatives for approval of the member utilities.  The development of a GIS Total Model and a quantitative approach to analyzing and assembling route segments provided a defensible selection of the most beneficial route for a new 42-inch potable water regional transmission main through a 32-mile urban alignment with a projected cost of over $200 million.

About the Presenter

Douglas H. Eckmann, P.E., BCEE, BC.WRE, F.ASCE
Associate
Kimley-horn and Associates, Inc. 

Board Certified Environmental Engineer in Water/Wastewater (1989) AAEES
Board Certified Water Resource Engineer (2014) AAWRE 
Elected to Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (2015)
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University (1971)
Licensed Professional Engineer, Florida 47259

Webinar Format

This webinar will include a moderated Q and A session following the speaker’s presentation. The session is open to environmental engineering and science professionals across all sectors and career stages. Our objective is to offer special insights on leading edge solutions for graduate and undergraduate students as well as early to mid-career environmental professionals who are considering specialty certification.

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