-
Solving the Mystery of Missing Data
By Tom DeWitte and Tom Coolidge Every day, one call systems dispatch utility locate technicians to mark the locations of buried utilities. Far too often, the utility locate technician must deal with the situation of utility pipes and wires missing from the maps and records provided to the locator. Yet when the utility…
-
Seeking GPS Units Recommendations
Our Road Department is evaluating GPS Units that can collect survey-grade data with tilt compensation and RTK Capabilities while integrating seamlessly with ArcGIS Portal or Online. We are looking for recommendations on the best available options, including the advantages and limitation of each unit. Specifically, we would…
-
Real-Time Gas Utility and Pipeline GIS
By Tom Coolidge and Tom DeWitte Gas utilities and pipelines are accelerating their implementation of real-time GIS capabilities as they transition to a net-zero world—for good reasons. Decision-makers and activity planners today need to account for many moving parts in their analyses and actions. While the exact path…
-
Pipeline Isolation Subnetwork Confusion
All - Sorry if I am missing something simple here, but when I try to update a pipeline isolation subnetwork I get an error that process encountered an "invalid device" when I'm certain that device is present in the subnetwork definition. Here are the details. First, here's the error message: I then search for the offending…
-
Utility and Pipeline Data Model 2023 with "Subnetwork Sink" network type
Hi all, We are implementing UPDM model for Oil and Gas production systems. We do not need any distribution tier or distribution asset classes. I notice that the UPDM model's Pipeline network is defined as "Subnetwork Source" model and wondering why. Since our system will be a production facility collecting the resource…
-
Re: Utility and Pipeline Data Model 2023 is Released
Hi all, Is there a working model with UNM and Pipeline Referencing data available to download? I have downloaded Naperville UPDM solution and can view Asset Package FGDB and accompanying map in ArcGIS Pro. It looks like only Pipeline* feature classes have any data. I could deploy the UPDM asset package to FGDB using…
-
Cross Bores in the UPDM
All - We represent discovered cross bore locations as simple point features in our current gas distribution ArcMap/GN implementation. I don't see a direct correspondence in the UPDM - but I may be missing something. Any guidance/suggestions here would be much appreciated. Thx, Ed
-
Addressing Utility Damage and Maps
Addressing Utility Damage and Maps By Tom DeWitte and Tom Coolidge Every day, thousands of subsurface utility engineering (SUE) and 811 locating technicians work to find, identify, mark, and document the locations of underground utilities, yet underground utilities are still being hit. The Common Ground Alliance (CGA)…
-
Utility and Pipeline Data Model 2026 is Released
Utility and Pipeline Data Model 2026 is Released By Tom DeWitte and Tom Coolidge Esri's Utility and Pipeline Data Model (UPDM) 2026 is available now. This release continues Esri's practice of maintaining a template data model ready "out-of-the-box" to manage gas and hazardous liquid pipe system data within an Esri…
-
Operator and monitor regulators in a station
The UPDM same data has a single regulator in its stations, but what if, in fact, there are actually distinct "operator" and "monitor" regulators along a given line? Is there a benefit to representing both of these pieces of equipment as devices in the model? Thx in advance for any feedback, Ed
-
Hydraulic Modeling and ArcGIS Utility Network
By Tom DeWitte and Tom Coolidge Every now and then, a generational advancement in application software used in the natural gas industry arrives that makes us stop and say, “Whoa, that is a big deal – a true game changer.” DNV is expected to release a new generation of hydraulic modeling software in Q3 of 2026 that is…
-
CP subnetwork lines exclude services and CP wire
I'm building CP subnetworks and noticed that the service lines (and CP wires) have a cpsubnetwork name assigned, but are not included in the subnetwork line geometry. Is this by design? Is there some configuration to the "Update Subnetwork" GP tool that controls this? I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing. I'd…
-
Move Edge Vertex Fails in Utility Network Database
I’ve been trying to track this one down for a while and I’m stumped. Any suggestions would be *greatly* appreciated. The error I’m getting is this when attempting to move or delete a vertex on a line feature in the PipelineLine feature class : We’ve all seen this, or some variation over the years. We try to add a feature…
-
Import Associations tool fails with "Invalid Value for ASSOCIATIONTYPE"
All - Trying to import am trying to import associations from an asset package and consistently get the error below. When I Google the error it says there is a related bug, but that seems to be for server and I'm working in an FGDB. The associations were exported into a CSV from the C_Associations table in my Asset package…
-
Understanding Cathodic Protection: Geospatial Data Management
By Tom DeWitte and Tom Coolidge The natural gas and hazardous liquids industries have always been dependent on knowing where they buried their assets. Like treasure hunters from the movies, industry staff are constantly looking for long-hidden things. Today's equivalent of a treasure map is an enterprise GIS, documenting…
-
Apply Asset Package errors with "OID-based relationships must use same width of object ID"
Hi - So, I added to a UPDM asset package an annotation class that has a relationship as follows: Origin class: PipelineJunction Origin Primary Key: OBJECTID (ObjectID) Destination class: SVT_Order_Anno Destination Foreign Key: FeatureID (Long) Running "Apply Asset Package" results in the error in the subject (when I remove…
-
UPDM Relationship Min and Max values
Hi - I'm creating valves in a UPDM UN database and get the following error about there being no related valve inspection records present. (Valve inspection info is kept in another system and will not be included in the UN database). But when I try to change the relationship multiplicity (below) it looks like no Min and Max…
-
The Survey123 Language Translation Assistant for Gas Utilities
We’re Back! Guess what? The long-awaited and greatly anticipated second installment of our three-part Survey123 AI Capabilities blog series is finally here. You might be asking yourself, “What’s coming up in part two?” Or maybe you’re thinking, “Wait, did I miss part one?” No worries, I’ve got you covered! If you haven’t…
-
Integrating Locate Data into ArcGIS
Integrating Locate Data into ArcGIS Maximizing Safety, Efficiency, and Spatial Intelligence for Utility Management Introduction The safe management of underground utilities is a cornerstone of modern infrastructure planning. As urban environments become denser and utility networks more intricate, the need for reliable…
-
Add new asset group/asset type to subnetwork defintion
Sorry to ask another newbie question, but I'm stuck on this. I added new asset group/asset types to the PipelineDevice class. I was then able to add the new group/types to the Cathodic Protection tier definition. This was great. Then I went to add the asset group/types to the Isolation tier definition. However, this time…
-
Gas CP Subnetwork Controllers
Hi - Unless I'm misinterpreting things, it looks like the only devices defined as subnetwork controllers for CP subnetworks in the UPDM are test points. I would have thought anodes and/or rectifiers would be considered subnetwork controllers as well. Am I missing something? (As is often the case) Thx, Ed
-
Designing Effective Computer Vision Prompts for Utility Field Operations Using Images in ArcGIS Survey123
We’ve all heard the sentiment that a picture is worth a thousand words. Through the advancement of AI technologies, this idea has become more tangible than ever. Computer vision is an interdisciplinary field of AI, generative AI, deep learning, and machine learning that harnesses the power to identify objects, read text,…
-
Understanding Cathodic Protection for GIS & IT Professionals
Understanding Cathodic Protection for GIS & IT Professionals By Tom Coolidge and Tom DeWitte In the United States there are 3.2 million miles of natural gas pipe and another 228,553 miles of hazardous liquid pipe in production as of December 31, 2024, according to the U.S. DOT PHMSA Annual reports. One million three…
-
One Source of Truth for Cathodic Protection Professionals
One Source of Truth for Cathodic Protection Professionals By Tom DeWitte and Tom Coolidge Managing Cathodic Protection (CP) has traditionally been a story of siloes for data management. For many CP departments, multiple data systems contain the information they rely upon. One system stores and manages the compliance dates.…
-
Gas Pressure System Boundary Indicator
In ArcFM classic there is a field that may be present on multiple device classes, and always on the classes that hold regulators and valves, named GASPRESSURESYSTEMSTATUS which indicates whether the device acts as a pressure system boundary. Some companies might have a field with another name (such as PARTITION) which is…
