📍 Location: Westmoreland Ln, USA

Modernizing Water Infrastructure: An ArcGIS Utility Network Case Study

In this tutorial, you will act as a GIS analyst who works for a water distribution utility. A new residential development is being built along Westmoreland Lane, and you will use ArcGIS Utility Network to provide the operations, planning, and engineering departments with the information they need to complete the work. Once construction is complete, you will use the editing and validation capabilities of Utility Network to ensure the geographic information system (GIS) accurately reflects the way equipment was constructed in the field.

Initial Study Area & Network Overview

Baseline Network Topology View
Study Area Landscape: Existing hydraulic infrastructure context at Westmoreland Lane, USA.

Before launching into utility asset modification, here is a baseline look at the existing network topology and the designated expansion zone along Westmoreland Lane. This review guarantees asset configuration integrity and proper pressure maintenance prior to structural routing edits.

Plan a service outage

Trace the water network to identify service interruption areas and affected customers.

Construct a new neighborhood

Draw new features to update the network with data from the field.

Perform quality assurance

Validate topology and update the subnetwork.

Phase 01: Outage Planning & Network Isolation

Water Network Isolation Trace View
Isolation Analytics: Identifying critical shut-off valves and affected customer parcels.

Integrating a new residential expansion requires temporary hydraulic isolation. Before field crews cut into existing water mains along Westmoreland Lane, the network topology must be analyzed to model pressure behavior and minimize service impact.

Analyze Distribution System & Demand

Evaluate current water demand in the area. This baseline data ensures the planning department creates a design that accommodates new connections without degrading water pressure.

Isolate Mains & Identify Affected Customers

Run an isolation trace to pinpoint the exact system valves requiring closure. This automatically extracts a spatial list of impacted customer parcels.

Phase 02: Executing Isolation Traces in ArcGIS Pro

Next, you will perform network traces to identify the equipment that will allow crews to isolate the construction area. Use the interactive switcher below to navigate through the step-by-step spatial workflow.

OVERVIEW

Define Project Expansion Boundary

Visualizing the initial study area context. The designated construction zone along Westmoreland Lane is highlighted with a distinct spatial hatch overlay to delineate the new neighborhood boundary.

Hatch Overlay
Map View: Baseline network context displaying the Hatched Construction Zone.
WORKFLOW

Trace Configurations & Core Workflow Steps

1

Open Trace Pane: On the ribbon, go to the Utility Network tab, and inside the Tools group, click the upper half of the Trace button. The Trace pane appears with the Add features button active.

ArcGIS Pro Ribbon
2

Set Starting Location: On the map, click the water main line following Westmoreland Lane. Click just north of the closed (red) system valve. A green marker appears on the map.

Map Selection
TRACE 01

Isolate System via Operable Valves

3

Configure Named Parameters: In the Trace pane, click the Named Configurations tab. Click Isolation Trace – Operable Valves to select your specific isolation criteria.

Trace Pane

Analysis Result Summary:

The topology engine successfully identifies a critical shut-off valve located at the north end of Westmoreland Lane.

Operable Valves Result
TRACE 02

Map Affected Assets & Outage Windows

4

Run & Process Solver: Click Run at the bottom of the pane. The network topology engine will compute connectivity and highlight all affected customer assets on the layout.

Trace Run Success
MISSION BRIEFING

The Spatial Analysis Story: Summary & Key Takeaways

Phase 1: Setting the Objective Pre-Construction Planning
To ensure field crews can safely cut into the water mains along Westmoreland Lane, we ran network isolation traces to accurately define the exact shut-off boundaries.
Phase 2: Operational Valve Verification First Trace Solver Pass
Using the Isolation Trace – Operable Valves algorithm, the system targeted and isolated a critical system valve at the north end of Westmoreland Lane.
Phase 3: Impact Analysis & Customer Metrics Second Trace Solver Pass
Transitioning to Isolation Trace – Affected Assets selected every downstream meter south of our isolated node, establishing a scheduled outage on June 6, 2025.

✅ Analytics Phase Complete: We have effectively mapped infrastructure constraints and verified physical valve isolations. We are ready to advance to the next technical phase.

Phase 03: Geoprocessing & Drawing Outage Features

Now that you know the exact infrastructure areas affected by the planned isolation, you will initialize the ArcGIS Pro spatial editor to draw persistent polygon features representing the official planned outage zones.

EDITING MODULE

Digitizing Westmoreland Ln Planned Outage

1

Activate Outage Template

On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. In the Features group, click Create. Under the Service Interruptions layer solutions, select the Planned Outage template tool profile.

2

Sketch First Boundary (Westmoreland Ln Drive)

On the map layout, click around the selected network features along Westmoreland Ln Drive to draw a persistent polygon surrounding them. Double-click to complete the initial footprint.

Activate Planned Outage Template
Digitizing Thornwood Polygon Boundary
Workspace Layout: Initializing the editing tool (Top) and mapping the geometric bounds of Thornwood Drive (Bottom).
MAP SELECTION

Flush Selection & Isolate Next Target

3

Flush Active Selection

On the ribbon map controls, look inside the Selection group and click Clear to drop the current highlights.

4

Identify Affected Customers

You’ll repeat the trace to identify affected customers on Westmoreland Ln group, click the lower half of the Trace button and click and create another planned outage feature for them.

Setting Sunset Drive Starting Flag
Identify Affected Customers: Clear active trace boundaries and set up the network engine for Westmoreland Ln analysis.
DATABASE INTEGRITY

Commit Project Changes

5

Restore Create Features

Click Create Features tab. (Tip: If missing, go to Edit > Create). Ensure dates are still set correctly to complete transactional controls.

6

Save Edits

On the ribbon, return to the Edit tab. Inside the Manage Edits functional group, click Save. In the confirmation dialog window, click Yes to commit features into the enterprise geodatabase.

Saving Changes and Cleaning Map Workspace
identify affected customers : create another planned outage feature for them. Westmoreland Ln, USA.
MISSION COMPLETION

The Spatial Analysis Story: Mapping Outages & Database Commit

Phase 4: Digitizing the First Impact Zone Westmoreland Lane Feature
Converting temporary on-screen trace results into a permanent geographic polygon. By activating the Planned Outage template for June 6, 2025, the initial containment footprint is officially logged.
Phase 5: Dual-Zone Network Isolation Sunset Drive Re-Trace
Purging the workspace to execute a secondary Affected Assets trace north of the isolated valve. This ensures that the impacted subscribers along Sunset Drive are mapped independently without overlapping.
Phase 6: Enterprise Data Integrity Final Database Commit
Executing a formal Save Edits command to permanently commit both geometric polygons into the Enterprise Geodatabase, followed by a final Clear All to flush the network engine.

✅ Data & Analysis Complete: We successfully isolated the network technically, accurately identified the affected subscribers, and documented the planned outage polygons within the database. This bridges the office-to-field gap by instantly syncing with ArcGIS Field Maps and allows customer care to notify affected citizens before the maintenance window.

Final Overview: Network analysis and GIS layers fully optimized, saved, and updated.

Phase 04: Identifying Affected Customers & Regulatory Compliance

Executing spatial queries to ensure a 48-hour advance notice is delivered to every single affected consumer in accordance with local utility laws.

Target Audited Analytics

Total Impacted Subscribers Found

4
Active Water Meters Identified Inside Outage Polygons
01
Selection Group

Multi-Select Outage Boundaries

On the ribbon, in the Selection group, click Select. Hold down the Shift key and click both drawing outage polygons (Westmoreland Ln & Sunset Drive) to bind them into a single active selection session.

Multi-Select Polygons
02
Spatial Query Engine

Configure Select By Location

Navigate to the Map tab ribbon, click Select By Location. Set the parameters exactly to cross-reference targets:

  • Input Features: Service Connection (Water Device)
  • Relationship: Intersect
  • Selecting Features: Service Interruptions
  • ⚠️ Note: Toggle ON "Use the selected records".
Select By Location Parameters
03
Verification

Zoom to Focus & Dispatch List

Click OK. Below the map, use the Zoom to Selected Features button. The network engine highlights exactly 43 meters. Extract this attribute list and securely transfer it to Customer Service for CRM broadcasting, then click Clear Selection.

Zoom to Affected Customers

🏁 Workflow Recap: What You Have Accomplished So Far

1. Pressure Tracing: Mapped the feeding source zone and evaluated overall customer baseline metrics.
2. Isolation Analysis: Pinpointed exact system valves needing physical closure prior to digging.
3. Regulatory Extraction: Captured and audited the 4 target customer profiles to clear compliance protocols.
PHASE 05: NETWORK FLOW

As-Built Pipeline Digitization

Open the valves sequentially to pump field GPS data into the production enterprise geodatabase.

⭕
V-01: Prep
⭕
V-02: Audit
⭕
V-03: Trace
⭕
V-04: Commit
Flow Initialization

Activate GPS Field Points

In the Contents pane, turn ON the GPS Point layer and zoom to it. Toggle OFF the Service Interruptions layer to expose the underlying basemap street network cleanly.

Gray points represent the physical water mains captured live by field crews.
GPS Layer Preparation
Quality Gate

Verify Template Attributes

Open the Create Features pane and select Water Line: Water Main > Distribution Main. Right-click the GPS layer attribute table to audit the FieldNote values.

Verified 6” PVC pipes. Template defaults match the construction specs perfectly.
Attribute Verification
Engineering

Trace Mains & Snapping

Enable Snapping (all modes active). Snap to the red valve on Westmoreland Ln, follow the gray path, and click every pink/blue point to log critical network vertices. Click Finish at the Tee node.

Vertices at taps and tees ensure network topology and hydraulic pressure flow function correctly.
Digitizing Water Mains
System Logging

Complete Trailing & Dirty Areas

Repeat the tracing process along Sunset Drive (ending at the Cap) and Pine Court. Once finished, 3 new water mains and 3 purple hatched rectangles (Dirty Areas) will appear.

Dirty areas are safety locks indicating the database requires geometric topology validation.
Dirty Areas Generated
PHASE 06: NETWORK ASSEMBLY

Fitting Integration & Group Templates

Deploying hydraulic fittings and orchestrating Group Templates to automatically construct complex service connections in a single click-session.

🔀
Component 01

Tee Fittings (6”)

🛑
Component 02

End Caps (6”)

🏠
Component 03

Group Template (¾”)

Junction Insertion

Intersects & Tee Fittings Placement

Turn OFF the WaterNetwork Utility Network layer to hide dirty areas for maximum clarity. Under Water Junction : Fitting, select the 6-inch Tee template. Snap and click precisely on the two main line intersections within the GPS layer.

⚙️ Network Rule: Tees establish physical connectivity at intersections, allowing logical tracing engines to split water flow.
Tee Fittings Insertion
Dead-End Isolation

Securing Pipe Ends with End Caps

Locate the blue Cap features from the GPS trails on Sunset Drive and Pine Court. Select the 6-inch End Cap template and drop them at the terminuses. Click Finish to seal the line geometries.

🛡️ Hydraulic Safety: End caps mathematically close the pipe entity, ensuring containment algorithms don't trigger leakage errors.
End Caps Insertion
Automated Sketching

Residential Tap Service Automation

💡 The Utility Network Advantage: In a traditional GIS workflow, creating a single house connection requires drafting 5 separate assets manually. You would have to drop a Tap on the main, a Service Valve at the property line, a Service Connection (Meter) at the building, and then sketch two separate lateral pipes to link them all together. The Group Template completely automates this.

Activate the ¾” Residential Tap Service group template in the Create Features pane under Water Junction : Fitting. Zoom to Pine Court and execute exactly 3 strategic clicks based on the GPS trail:

Click 1: Tap on Main Line ➔ Click 2: Service Valve at Boundary ➔ Double-Click 3: Service Connection (Meter).

🚀 1-Click Multi-Feature: The UN engine drops all 5 features instantly (3 point assets and 2 connecting service lines), cutting manual asset logging time by 70%.
Group Template Map Execution
Template Thumbnail
Template Pane UI Layout Close-up interface reference of the ¾” Residential Tap Service template configuration inside ArcGIS Pro.
QUALITY ASSURANCE & TOPO-CHECK

Hydraulic Network Topology Validation

Executing connectivity audits and structural validations to clear "Dirty Areas" and permanently commit geometry changes to the enterprise network database.

STAGE 1: SCANNING
Database Isolation

Exposing Dirty Areas & Status Pop-up

In the Contents pane, turn OFF and collapse the GPS Point layer. Turn back ON the WaterNetwork Utility Network layer. Expand it, right-click Dirty Areas, and select Zoom To Layer.

🔍 Pop-up Audit Result: Clicking a dirty polygon reveals Status Description = 1 (Inserted/Updated feature), confirming the system is tracking our newly drafted water infrastructure.
Zooming to Network Dirty Areas
Dirty Area Attributes Pop-up
Topology Status Check Pop-up attribute verifying Status Description Value 1 (Inserted/Updated) active on the data block.
STAGE 2: VALIDATE & LOCK
Topology Execution

Validate Topology & Save Edits

Navigate to the Utility Network tab ribbon. In the Network Topology group, click the upper half of the Validate button. Watch the purple hatched blocks completely dissolve. Finally, hop onto the Edit tab and click Save inside the Manage Edits group.

✅ Compliance Locked: Zero rule violations detected. The UN database topology is now 100% active, legal, and safely synchronized with production.
ArcGIS Pro Ribbon Validate Tool - Wide View
Final Validated Water Network - Large View
PHASE 07 // INFRASTRUCTURE SYNC

Pressure Zone Integration & Valve Activation

Following the physical installation of pipeline networks, hydraulic connectivity must be established. This operational phase details how to transition boundary isolation valves from closed to open, shifting the network status from Unknown to an active part of Pressure Zone 5000.

01

Subnetwork Continuity Audit

Clicking the new mains reveals that the System Subnetwork Name is Unknown. Running a Trace Subnetwork on Pressure Zone 5000 confirms that the tracing engine completely bypasses the new layout due to isolation.

Boundary Check: 2 Valves Detected ➔ Current Status: CLOSED (RED)
02

Attributes Modification & Topology Lock

Using the Select Features tool, select the boundary valves on Thornwood Drive and Sunset Drive. In the Attributes pane, alter their Normal Status to Open and hit Apply.

The valve symbols dynamically turn Yellow. To finish, navigate to the Utility Network ribbon and click Validate to dissolve the generated dirty areas and finalize live tracing.

ArcGIS Pro Attributes Pane Normal Status Open Configuration
Pane UI Layout
Final Network Synchronization Map Canvas View
Active Live Map View
⚡

System Status: Pressure Zone 5000 Successfully Synchronized & Live.

PHASE 08 // METRICS RE-CALCULATION

Subnetwork Synchronization Pipeline

⚠️

1. Refresh & Detect

Clicking Refresh inside the Find Subnetworks pane triggers a yellow status warning, signaling that the network geometry has changed and requires recalculation.

➔
🔄

2. Update Subnetwork

Right-click Pressure Zone 5000 and execute Update Subnetwork. The UN engine wipes the warning, shifting the zone back to a clean status.

➔
💾

3. Audit & Project Save

Verify the increased Main Length and Connection Counts via the Pop-up. Secure the entire progress by clicking Save on the Quick Access Toolbar.

ArcGIS Pro Updated Subnetwork Metrics and Pop-up Results
ACTIVE DATASET

Database Verification: Pipe lengths and asset counts dynamically linked to Pressure Zone 5000.

FINAL DELIVERABLE // MAP SERIES

As-Built Subsystem Production Layout

The ultimate approved geospatial layout showing the active hydraulic infrastructure. Toggle between the localized service expansion focus and the global zone model synchronized directly with the enterprise database.

Localized First Three Water Service Connections View
Focus Grid // 1:400

Detailed View: High-resolution satellite overlay capturing the initial 3 residential connections, system service taps, and active flow nodes along the main distribution link.

Global Subnetwork Hydraulic Layout View
Subsystem Grid // 1:1,200

Comprehensive Landscape: Complete asset inventory mapping including all active lines, service connections, and the open boundary valves successfully feeding Pressure Zone 5000.

Document: Water_Network_AsBuilt_2026.aprx
CRS: WGS 1984 Web Mercator Auxiliary Sphere
UN COMPLIANT
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CASE STUDY SUMMARY

Case Study Summary & Technical Review

This case study demonstrated the complete engineering workflow of integrating newly constructed water infrastructure into an Enterprise Utility Network using ArcGIS Pro. Starting with outage planning and isolation tracing, continuing through GPS-based digitization, fitting placement, group template automation, dirty area generation, and topology validation, every stage contributed to producing a clean, production-ready spatial dataset suitable for enterprise asset management and future maintenance operations.

✅ Key Takeaways

Throughout this project, the following production workflows were successfully completed:

✔ Planned Water Service Outage
✔ Isolation Trace Analysis
✔ GPS Field Data Integration
✔ Water Main Digitization
✔ Tee & Cap Placement
✔ Group Template Automation
✔ Dirty Area Detection
✔ Utility Network Validation
✔ Enterprise Database Updated

🛠 GIS Technology Stack

📥 Download ArcGIS Pro Project (.aprx)

Desktop GIS: ArcGIS Pro 3.x

Enterprise GIS: ESRI Utility Network

Database: Enterprise File Geodatabase

Engineering Workflow: Isolation Trace • GPS Survey • Network Editing • Group Templates • Topology Validation • Dirty Area Management

17
Network Features
0
Topology Errors
100%
Network Valid
Ahmed Bahaa

About the Engineer

Ahmed Bahaa

GIS Analyst | GIS Solutions Engineer

Passionate about Enterprise GIS, Utility Network implementation, spatial database design, geospatial automation, and interactive GIS web applications. Focused on transforming field engineering data into production-ready enterprise geospatial systems.

📧 Email 💼 LinkedIn Profile

🎯 Case Study Successfully Completed

This concludes the complete Utility Network workflow covering outage planning, isolation tracing, GPS data integration, feature creation, fitting placement, topology validation, and enterprise network management using ArcGIS Pro.

Thank you for reading.

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