GIS and Water Utilities: the case of Johannesburg Water

• Main Author: Woghiren, Lawrence
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: GIS; water utilities
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10539/1814

Student Number : 0200855X - MSc research report - School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies - Faculty of Science === This research report focuses on the implementation of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Johannesburg Water, the water utility of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Council. The research contributes to a broader debate on the implementation of GIS technology in private and public institutions. While this research field has a long and reasonably strong tradition in the developed world, research on GIS and organisations in the developing world is in its infancy. Based on interviews with a range of personnel in Johannesburg Water the research provides an assessment of the history of GIS implementation in this institution. The history, which begins in the 1980s, examines the development of the technology in Johannesburg Water focusing on the experiences of staff and various software and hardware choices. The research also examines current implementation issues and the impact of GIS in decision-making in this organisation. Finally, the research assesses the implementation of GIS in Johannesburg Water in relation to various theories of, and approaches to, GIS implementation.