Application of Geographic Information System in Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company

Abstract

Many companies are applying GIS based applications to improve efficiency in day to day operations. The main purpose of this research was to establish the application of Geographical Information Systems in the water sector. The study aimed at examining the extent of GIS usage with focus on the benefits realized and challenges experienced with the use of GIS. A descriptive research design was adopted for this study. The target population constituted of ICT, Technical, Commercial, Finance and Human Resources staff at NCWSC. Convenience sampling was used to collect data from 57 staff of NCWSC. The questionnaires were mainly hand delivered to the respondents. The respondents were asked about the extent of GIS use in the company, benefits and challenges of using GIS. The results show that most of the respondents were experienced with GIS and therefore had the necessary knowledge sought for. The interpretation drawn indicates there is a moderate extent usage of GIS. Further analysis revealed NCWSC has benefited from the GIS application. Some of the benefits include reduced errors in readings of water meters, quick response in determination of water pressure and quick response in identification of leaks. Despite the benefits, it was also found that there were several challenges encountered in the use of GIS. The major challenges included, inadequate IT training on use of GIS application, lack of capturing proper workflows across contributed by users and lack of efficient appropriate network to transfer large amount data from the field.