Putting EBMUD on the map.
Rachel's motto is to get it right the first time.
When EBMUD crews respond to a water emergency, they look to the maps created and updated by senior drafters like Rachel. These maps unlock a complex system of pipes, valves, hydrants, treatment plants and more.
EBMUD employees rely on EBMUD maps to understand the extensive infrastructure that lives above ground and mostly under it. Each piece of infrastructure is interconnected and any change to one part of the system can impact another.
“Our mapping services group maintains more than 1,470 maps,” says Rachel. “We ensure that data is geographically positioned in the accurate location.”
Precision is imperative to not only help EBMUD staff navigate today’s water and wastewater systems, but they create an accurate record for future generations of EBMUD staff to work from. To repair or update pipes, pumps, and treatment facilities, EBMUD needs the exact details of their locations and a clear understanding of their relationships to each other.
“Every pipe and every valve that we install today will be around longer than I will. Fifty years from now, the decisions I made will help future staff understand our system.”
Rachel is completing her master’s degree in geographic information systems, and appreciates the opportunity to bring new ideas to the table.
“I love how EBMUD offers opportunities to grow. I’m learning things in class that I’m directly applying to improve my work at the district.”