Using GIS to Automate Sanitary Surveys

Using GIS to Automate Sanitary Surveys

Genesee County Health Department Environmental Division

Orleans County Public Health

Genesee County Health Department Environmental Division

Orleans County Public Health

Background - Greater Background - Greater Rochester Health Foundation Rochester Health Foundation

GrantGrant RFP released December 2007RFP released December 2007 Non-competitive grants to 8 rural Non-competitive grants to 8 rural

counties surrounding Monroecounties surrounding Monroe Focus to address health needs of Focus to address health needs of

communities outside Monroe Countycommunities outside Monroe County Collaborative approach between Collaborative approach between

Genesee and Orleans with focus on Genesee and Orleans with focus on GIS initiativeGIS initiative

Background – ContinuedBackground – Continued

Utilized Lake Plains Community Care Utilized Lake Plains Community Care Network to Administer Grant Network to Administer Grant

Awarded grant $330,000 over 3 Awarded grant $330,000 over 3 yearsyears

Purpose of grant to develop a Purpose of grant to develop a database of GPS points for well and database of GPS points for well and septic system components within the septic system components within the two countiestwo counties

Relevant County DataRelevant County Data

In Genesee County In Genesee County 40% or 9,634 households served by 40% or 9,634 households served by

wellswells 48% or 11,588 households served by 48% or 11,588 households served by

private septic systemsprivate septic systems In Orleans CountyIn Orleans County

35% households - private Wells35% households - private Wells 60% households – private septic60% households – private septic

Project focus - Promotion of Project focus - Promotion of Public HealthPublic Health

Rural Health IssueRural Health Issue Opportunity to Leverage TechnologyOpportunity to Leverage Technology Collecting GPS data helps to speed Collecting GPS data helps to speed

up the response to well up the response to well contamination eventscontamination events

Provides surveillance data that allows Provides surveillance data that allows us to see problems developingus to see problems developing

Project Focus - Other Project Focus - Other Enhanced BenefitsEnhanced Benefits

• Streamline office processes and work Streamline office processes and work flowsflows

• Create Virtual filesCreate Virtual files

• Reduce FTE timeReduce FTE time– InspectorInspector– Support staffSupport staff

Project Basics - Water Project Basics - Water SourcesSources

Some home owners make use of hand Some home owners make use of hand dug wells and cisternsdug wells and cisterns

These sources seen as at a higher risk These sources seen as at a higher risk than drilled wells for potential than drilled wells for potential contaminationcontamination

Reality is any on site well can be Reality is any on site well can be subject to contaminationsubject to contamination

Routes of ContaminationRoutes of Contamination

• Land spreading of manure and Land spreading of manure and pesticidespesticides

• Aging and failing septic systemsAging and failing septic systems

• Chemical spills, traffic accidents, Chemical spills, traffic accidents, railroad accidentsrailroad accidents

• Lack of maintenanceLack of maintenance

Leach Field Design Leach Field Design ConsiderationsConsiderations

Separation distances to wells, Separation distances to wells, surface water bodiessurface water bodies

Separation distances to bed rock or Separation distances to bed rock or the water tablethe water table

Adequate length of trenches for Adequate length of trenches for proper treatmentproper treatment

The Old ProcessThe Old Process

Requests for InspectionsRequests for Inspections

Sale of home, if required by lending Sale of home, if required by lending agencyagency

Complaint of water quality or failing Complaint of water quality or failing septic systemseptic system

Illness or widespread contamination Illness or widespread contamination eventsevents

Construction of new septic systemsConstruction of new septic systems

Field Visit ConductedField Visit Conducted

• Inspector arrives on site and Inspector arrives on site and records observations and site records observations and site specific data onto paper formsspecific data onto paper forms

• Identifies public health hazards and Identifies public health hazards and violations, recommends corrective violations, recommends corrective procedures.procedures.

Identified InefficienciesIdentified Inefficiencies

• Hand drawn sketches often lacking in detailHand drawn sketches often lacking in detail

• Files stored in cabinets creating limited accessibility Files stored in cabinets creating limited accessibility for studies or investigationsfor studies or investigations

– Response to contamination events requires Response to contamination events requires digging through files for data, and some digging through files for data, and some events full extent could be overlookedevents full extent could be overlooked

• Inspector only generally carries one property's Inspector only generally carries one property's historical data to an inspectionhistorical data to an inspection

– Limits ability to detect neighborhood issuesLimits ability to detect neighborhood issues

The New ProcessThe New Process

The New ProcessThe New Process

GIS used to automate the processing GIS used to automate the processing of data and storing that data in an of data and storing that data in an easy to use formeasy to use form

Inspectors given a laptop with the Inspectors given a laptop with the application installed and a Trimble application installed and a Trimble GPS unitGPS unit

Inspection ConductedInspection Conducted

Inspector loads up the application Inspector loads up the application and finds the property location that and finds the property location that they're inspectingthey're inspecting

Inspector fills out the forms for each Inspector fills out the forms for each component of the septic system and component of the septic system and wellwell

• Measuring tool allows measurement Measuring tool allows measurement of features, separation distances, of features, separation distances, areas of leach fieldsareas of leach fields

• Navigation tools allow for pan Navigation tools allow for pan movement around the map, custom movement around the map, custom zoom, fixed zoom, and zoom to full zoom, fixed zoom, and zoom to full extent of the map. extent of the map.

• Zoom to GPS: Zooms map to current Zoom to GPS: Zooms map to current location of Trimble GPS unit. Removes location of Trimble GPS unit. Removes need to manually search for your need to manually search for your location on the maplocation on the map

• Parcel tools allow for identification of Parcel tools allow for identification of map layer features, opening an map layer features, opening an inspection report, selecting/deselecting inspection report, selecting/deselecting parcels on the mapparcels on the map

• Opens the file linker for the selected Opens the file linker for the selected parcel, allowing for the viewing of parcel, allowing for the viewing of historical scanned documentshistorical scanned documents

• Synch button synchs the laptop with Synch button synchs the laptop with the main database the main database

File LinkingFile Linking

Historical paper records are being Historical paper records are being scanned into PDF documentsscanned into PDF documents

Gives the inspector the entire data Gives the inspector the entire data base of information at their base of information at their fingertips, dating back into the fingertips, dating back into the 1950's1950's

SynchronizationSynchronization

Each laptop is synched in the Each laptop is synched in the morning and at the end of the daymorning and at the end of the day

Ensures that each laptop has a Ensures that each laptop has a complete data base when brought complete data base when brought out into the fieldout into the field

Desktop ApplicationDesktop Application

New GIS System In ActionNew GIS System In Action

Lamb FarmsLamb Farms

inin

Genesee County Genesee County

Lamb FarmsLamb Farms

• Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation located in Oakfieldlocated in Oakfield

• 2,400 Cows involved in the milking 2,400 Cows involved in the milking operationoperation

• Producing 45 million gallons of manure Producing 45 million gallons of manure per yearper year

• Stored in an on-site 15 million gallon Stored in an on-site 15 million gallon lagoon and spread onto fields as fertilizerlagoon and spread onto fields as fertilizer

Threat IdentifiedThreat Identified

• Notified by NYDEC and USEPA of Notified by NYDEC and USEPA of high levels of nitrates in wells high levels of nitrates in wells serving the farmserving the farm

• Sampling in August of 2008 showed Sampling in August of 2008 showed nitrate levels from 17 – 25 mg/l in nitrate levels from 17 – 25 mg/l in the Farm's Wellsthe Farm's Wells

Public Health ResponsePublic Health Response

• Farm notified and placed on increased Farm notified and placed on increased monitoring as a public water supplymonitoring as a public water supply

• Sampling for coliform/E. Coli and Sampling for coliform/E. Coli and Nitrate expanded to nearby residents Nitrate expanded to nearby residents to determine extent of contaminationto determine extent of contamination

ResolutionResolution

• Town of Oakfield applies and is Town of Oakfield applies and is awarded a grant to expand public awarded a grant to expand public water to the affected areawater to the affected area

• Oakfield Water District #2 has been Oakfield Water District #2 has been constructioned to serve the constructioned to serve the population nearby Lamb Farmspopulation nearby Lamb Farms

The Benefits of the new The Benefits of the new MethodologyMethodology

Increased ability to see potential Increased ability to see potential public health problems before they public health problems before they startstart

Archiving of Historical DataArchiving of Historical Data Inspector carries the entire data base Inspector carries the entire data base

of information and gains insightof information and gains insight Less paperwork and hunting for paper Less paperwork and hunting for paper

work in the officework in the office Web based applications Web based applications

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

• Greater Rochester Health Greater Rochester Health Foundation and Lake Plains for Foundation and Lake Plains for issuing and administering the grantissuing and administering the grant

• Eric Brady and Bergmann Eric Brady and Bergmann Associates for development of the Associates for development of the GIS ApplicationGIS Application