Boston Water and Sewer Commission
Bringing state-of-the-art tools to the oldest and largest network of water, sewer, and stormwater systems in New England
1M
Boston citizens using I.F. Technology
100%
Accessibility score at launch
575
Boston Water projects updated via data integrations
Special Features:
Drupal 10
Fulcrum Hosting
Advanced Charting
Location/Maps
Data Feeds
Sitewide Alerts
The Boston Water and Sewer Commission is not only responsible for vast networks of underwater pipes and drainage systems but for connecting the city’s residents to vital services and providing essential information about planning, projects, and environmental impacts. Before they partnered with I.F., the BWSC was struggling with outdated modes of communication and a clunky payment portal that left more than a quarter of their users unable to complete their payment. They were looking for solutions to better serve not only their residential customers but also businesses and contractors.
Modern tools to empower all users
The site we created for Boston Water and Sewer Commission utilizes a clear, user-based navigation and bold imagery to connect the utility’s services to their city and their users. It also brings together a suite of online tools to solve the wide-ranging issues the Boston Water and Sewer Commission was facing. For residential users, we overhauled the interface of their payment portal and introduced multimedia support resources and a streamlined process guide. We also created interactive maps to see current Boston Water and Sewer Commission projects, learn more about their status, and find out where future projects are planned.
For builders and contractors, we moved the offline site plan approval process, which had previously required a phone call to a single office, to an online platform. Now users can easily look up their projects, find the status of their applications, and see exactly whom to contact if they have further questions.
Success factors
- Customized payment portal support
- User-based menus and tasks
- Custom integrations with multiple external databases and processes
- Tools to support transparency and clear communication
- Streamlined backend for ease of maintenance
Innovation in action: Making maps more user-friendly
We created a custom solution for the Boston Water and Sewer Commission to spotlight the many ArcGIS maps that they have developed to help residents better understand their utilities, the landscape and features of their city, and the environmental impacts of projects and system improvements. The Maproom concept, which allows users to filter maps by category and see each option in an appealing card-style layout, has since become a popular feature with other clients who want to highlight custom maps and geographical resources in their communities.
