Using GIS, RDBMS, and FME Server to Automate Infrastructure Availability Tax Assessments

The Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) is the water, wastewater, and recycled water service provider to more than 850,000 people living and working within western Riverside County, California. EMWD utilizes infrastructure availability tax assessments to help share the cost of providing water and sewer infrastructure to its service area. Charges are based on each parcel’s proximity to existing water and sewer facilities and tax status. An infrastructure availability tax assessment reporting system was recently deployed to calculate the charges for 251,000 parcels using GIS-based assessment methods to ensure that the charges are easy to maintain and are defendable. This system is built on GIS, RDBMS, FME Server, and web technologies. This approach has resulted in process efficiency and accuracy improvements, bringing in over US$ 5,900,000 annually.