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County expands FLOW Forward GIS project to gather water-system data; local districts raise privacy concerns
Summary
Staff outlined 'FLOW Forward,' a county GIS initiative to collect water-system mapping, valve and meter data for internal planning, EMA and grant work; several water districts expressed concern about sharing detailed valve locations and proprietary engineer data and asked for assurances the dataset will be private and used only for official planning.
County GIS staff outlined FLOW Forward, a data program to assemble mapping and operational data from municipal and district water systems to give the county a common operational picture for economic development and emergency management. The presenter said the dataset would be stored privately for official use only and would not be made public unless districts directed otherwise.
Some water districts voiced hesitancy about sharing valve placements, pumping-station locations and engineer-produced drawings. The presenter said the effort is relationship-based rather than statutorily compelled and that staff will proceed by collecting what districts are willing to share while emphasizing emergency-planning benefits. "This information is not for public use... it will be protected, it'll be for the use of official use, it'll be in a private area," the presenter said. Commissioners asked staff to engage districts, coordinate with EMA and return with a list of participating systems and safeguards.
