Data Conversion Will Integrate Information to Improve Customer Service and Increase Efficiency in Managing the City's Water Distribution System

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Avineon, Inc., a successful provider of IT, engineering, geospatial and program management services, today announced it will assist the Chicago Department of Water Management (CDWM) and Chicago Water Partners (CWP) in expanding its geographic information system (GIS) development program to include the entire City of Chicago water distribution system (excluding small services). The data conversion project will provide a complete and functional GIS for Chicago's water distribution system and allow for asset management of key components such as water mains, valves and fire hydrants. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2008.

The City of Chicago water system consists of approximately 4,200 miles of water main, 50,000 fire hydrants and 50,000 valves within the 231 square miles of the city limits. CDWM/CWP recently completed a pilot project to develop a GIS water system for eight square miles of the city's water distribution system. CDWM chose to expand the GIS development program to include the complete City of Chicago water distribution system using the pilot project as the basis of the initiative.

As a subcontractor under GIS Solutions Inc., a full service GIS consulting firm, Avineon is tasked with converting data from several maps and resources into a functional GIS system. The company will convert approximately 1,000 atlas maps in electronic and paper formats that depict water system elements. Avineon will also utilize information from 250 official atlas maps and 23,000 Service Plat Maps to determine the chlorination month and year of each water main. In addition, three sources of break and leak data will be utilized throughout the conversion project, including hard-copy maps with annotated, hand-written break and leak information and a break and leak database developed in MS Access. The database information, taken from break and leak forms completed by field foremen, records addresses of breaks and leaks for the past ten years.

Gary Wilkison, vice president of Avineon's Geospatial and Engineering Services division, stated, "Avineon's solid background in providing GIS services and support to water utility companies and state and local governments makes this undertaking a natural fit. We look forward to working with the Chicago Department of Water Management, Chicago Water Partners and GIS Solutions Inc. as we develop a unified and efficient GIS program for the citywide water distribution system."

In addition to Avineon and GIS Solutions, Inc., other project team partners include EMA, Inc., Electronic Knowledge Interchange (EKI) and Scarfe Consulting. This project team has a proven track record in water utility data conversion, quality assurance and quality control practices and working with clients to implement GIS solutions.

About Avineon

Avineon, a CMMI Maturity Level 3 and ISO 9001:2000 registered company, is a diversified high technology company that provides information technology (IT), geospatial, engineering and program management services. With headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, and offices in Alabama, Florida, Indiana and Virginia, Avineon also maintains subsidiaries in Europe and India. In IT, Avineon specializes in web-based architecture, systems engineering, application development and on-going network and security support. For additional information please visit www.avineon.com.

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    Avineon, Inc.
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Web site: http://www.avineon.com/