Using Mobile GIS for Water Networks' Management - The Open Source Approach

摘要

Being able to move freely and get on the spot information about a water network's condition is one of the most important factors in the work of a utilities technician. Mobility in GIS and GPS can provide such a solution to everyday work and support actions such as online and near real time database updates regarding the condition of the network, real time updates from sensors deployed throughout the water network, pin point guidance of the technician to the point of malfunction and other. In this paper such a research is presented, regarding water network management specific applications. By using a PDA or mobile phone equipped with a GPS and a custom Mobile GIS application that connects over the air to a database server, the utilities' technician is able to access a huge amount of data regarding the area he is examining and act accordingly. The focus of this paper is not a new application. There are many commercially available applications for Mobile GIS. It is about providing a better understanding of the technology behind the scenes and how it can be put to use in the case of water network's management. This is the main reason why Open Source software is used apart from the well known benefits of free use, low or no cost, professional and community support. Everything from the DBMS to the client software is entirely based on Open Source packages and development.