A GIS-Based Analysis of Potential Sewer Choke in Western Sydney Region

Geographical Information System (GIS) is used to assist Sydney Water, a state owned water utility, in their decision-making process to reduce the number of chokes occurring within their jurisdiction. The use of GIS enables Sydney Water to obtain easier visual interpretation of otherwise complicated and detailed raw data. GIS in this sewer choke analysis is found to be useful as it allows the spatial data to be correlated and helpful information e.g. the characteristics of the pipes to be symbolised accordingly. GIS can also be used to compute the extent of the area affected by concentrating on chokes occurring per region or on a grid basis. This let Sydney Water identify areas with high or low concentrations of sewer choke problems easily. Furthermore, queries can be run and data can be selected according to the user’s preferences. For example, users are able to query for data on chokes occurring due to a specific cause, such as tree roots ingression into the pipes, blockage by grease or debris, or pipe breakage. This study will hopefully assist Sydney Water in making quick and effective decisions for potential chokes according to the risk that they impose on the environment and population.