Stormwater Data Management vs Stormwater Utility Network

[lfrazeurfw]

Looking for discussion around two stormwater models from Esri's solutions. My organization is looking to redesign our stormwater database to conform to esri standards. My boss is intrigued by Esri's Stormwater Data Management solution due to the other esri solutions that work well with that schema design (Green Infrastructure solution, Adopt a Catch Basin, etc). These solutions could be rapidly deployed with data in the Stormwater Data Management model, reducing time spent on custom solutions. However, in maybe 1-2 years I believe they'd like to make the shift to utility network. I will be presenting the SDM solution to my boss when she returns from PTO in 10 days, and plan to discuss UN as well. Do you see benefit in shifting to SDM first even if we may redesign our data to the UN relatively soon after? Is Esri designing/redesigning stormwater solutions that will work better with UN instead of SDM?

[PatrickGCowan · Accepted solution]

I recommend reviewing the options outlined in this post:

ArcGIS for Utilities: Enterprise GIS for Modern Network Information Management

This article provides a clear overview of the available models and the capabilities each one offers.

If your primary objective is to work with simple features and deploy pre-built applications quickly, the Data Management solution may be the most suitable starting point. However, if you require more advanced functionality—such as network tracing, connectivity rules, or complex spatial analysis—you might want to explore the Utility Network foundation solution.

It’s also worth noting that you can begin with the Data Management solution and later migrate to a Utility Network foundation. Just keep in mind that this would involve two separate migration efforts.

Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. You’ll need to evaluate each option carefully to determine which best aligns with your organization’s needs.

Lastly, we are planning to release a Stormwater Essentials Utility Network foundation model. This will offer a simplified schema and representation, making the transition to the Utility Network more straightforward for stormwater systems.

[RobertKrisher]

@lfrazeurfw Are you using ArcGIS Online? If so, ArcGIS Online does not currently support utility network datasets, so you can only use the Stormwater Data Management solution.

If you plan to use a utility network in the next few years, familiarize yourself with the Migration Toolset and the Utility Network Migration wizard. They include data migration and data cleanup tools to help you turn your current model to a utility network. Ideally this would be how you would get from your Stormwater Data Management solution to a utility network, since this would build a like-for-like utility network using your current model that includes all the data model changes you've made while implementing your solutions.

[BrandiRank22 · Accepted solution]

@lfrazeurfw 

An update to Stormwater Data Management will be released in July for ArcGIS Online, the newest version is already available in ArcGIS Enterprise 11.5.  The update includes changes to the data schema.  If you plan to use the connected solutions such as Adopt-A-Catch Basin, Stormwater BMP Inspections (which will be released in July and will replace the current Green Infrastructure Inspections) or Catch Basin and Outlet Inspections then you should consider waiting until July and deploying the newer versions.  It is not just a data schema change, but also includes modernizations such as the removal of WebApp Builder. 

For examples sake, let’s imagine you deploy the SW Data Management and the related solutions, if you were to move your data into the UN, which as Robert mentioned above can not be deployed in ArcGIS Online, then you would need to think about how you would support those workflows moving forward.  Not that you can’t do what you proposed, but there will be considerations for “How”.

Lastly, the UN and the DM schemas are not identical, they are similar.  So as Patrick mentioned in his reply they are different data migration processes.

I would be happy to chat with you more this as well.

[lfrazeurfw]

Thanks Brandi, this is helpful especially knowing the solutions are being revamped. What kind of schema changes are being made to SDM? Major ones or small changes?

[BrandiRank22]

@lfrazeurfw Here are the changes to the schema - as I mentioned this is already available in ArcGIS Enterprise 11.5.  These change will be available July 2nd for AGOL deployments.

[tikola]

Last one is major - we have had in past setup where certain integer means certain issue. Moving to a system where value of issue is the one stored is a major change. I think it makes sense as when exporting data seeing the actual information instead of domain integers easies up things.

I have spend last two years working with AGOL Data Management. Our customers are fairly small organizations and for them Data Management is way better than UN. Utility network suits in case where organization is big and skilled enough to manage all steps needed in UN. In Data Management single user can do a lot of things in easy and lightweighted way.

So my strong opinion (without real experience of UN) is that you need to be quite advanced organization to take UN in use. In all other cases Data Management is the better way.

As a stormwater I think UN makes less sense than other networks. Stormwater is typically a fragmented network where in practise a hole in groung collects water and leads that somwhere nearby via pipe where it is released to open streams again. So tracing etc. is most difficult in stormwater due network characteristics. It is simply way more fragmented than other water networks.

ps. One thing I was missing on list above - is there new Field Tasks fields added in system? I have seen those in water management and I assume they appear now in all networks when solution gets updated?

[RobertKrisher]

This is discussed in this article: ArcGIS for Utilities – Enterprise GIS for Modern Network Information Management Modern Network Infor.... Every organization is different, and if you don't need to trace or use other network management capabilities than you don't need a utility network. However, if your want to be able to trace watersheds, identify unsnapped/disconnected features, ensure the digitized directions of your lines are correct, or integrate your GIS with any kind of engineering analysis tool, then a utility network will help make that easier. When implementing a utility network you can also choose to implement an organization specific model, that is built using your current schema, or you can adopt an industry standard model that includes advanced capabilities but requires you to adopt a new schema.

[LindseyStone]

@RobertKrisher or @BrandiRank22 

I downloaded the Stormwater Utility Network off the solution site and I'm having a Pro compatibility issue.  Looks like everything in the solution was created in Pro 3.3, but when trying to apply an asset package to my enterprise geodatabase I'm getting the below error message.  I'm trying to use Pro 3.1 because I need a version 6 of the utility network,  since Field Maps does not support UN version 7.  I'm on Enterprise 11.3.  Is there anyway to remove unsupported fields, export this out to a new asset package or get a compatible version of the Solution?

ERROR 160627: This version of the Geodatabase client is incompatible with the dataset and cannot open it.
Failed to execute (ExportXMLWorkspaceDocument).

[PatrickGCowan]

You don't have to use Pro 3.1 in order to make a UN version 6. The UN Tools now has an option to pick which version you want to create when using the Asset Package to Geodatabase or Stage Utility Network tools. This will allow you to create a version 6 UN with Pro 3.3 or higher.