PHOENIX — For decades, accurately measuring water and the data that came with it was an issue at the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
"You can't really manage your water resources unless you can measure it," said Lisa Williams with ADWR.
Now, however, they can with the help of the data company Hitachi Vantara, which specializes in data management.
Hitachi Vantara's automated data system is able to manage the resources much faster, allowing ADWR more time to actually analyze data instead of looking for it.
"We use our entire data catalog to automate the discovery and the catalog and the categorizing, if you will, of the data and preparing it for the analysis," said Bjorn Andersson of Hitachi Vantara.
ADWR didn't have this capability for years, meaning precious time was lost simply looking for data, including information on more than 220,000 groundwater wells, the history of water use in Arizona, and more.
"We were just stuck until we got this tool," said Williams.
She also says the state can now focus on protecting and conserving its water supply which may better equip Arizona for upcoming water resource challenges.
"We obviously faced challenges in water resource management, but to the extent that we can have accurate and timely data available to our public and our stakeholders and our decision-makers, it makes a difference," Williams said.
To find out more about the surface and groundwater supply along with information on wells and water storage, click here.
