Waggoner Improves Utility Asset Mapping with Bad Elf GNSS

When a water main breaks, crews need to locate the correct valve quickly. Dependable Geographic Information System (GIS) data helps them connect the map to conditions on the ground. Waggoner Engineering brings that practical focus to its work with Yazoo Public Service Commission.

Waggoner has worked with Yazoo PSC to develop and implement a comprehensive GIS solution for its water, wastewater, and electric utility infrastructure. The project combines: asset inventory development, enterprise GIS hosting, web mapping, and mobile field data collection. A Bad Elf Flex Extreme GNSS receiver adds high-accuracy positioning to that broader effort.

Together, the GIS environment, positioning technology, and hands-on training give PSC personnel a way to verify asset locations and maintain their information during everyday operations.

Building a GIS foundation for utility operations

Asset inventories often begin with records gathered over many years. Scanned as-built drawings, wall maps, CAD files, and the knowledge of experienced employees all contribute. Bringing those sources into GIS makes them easier to organize and access. Field verification helps confirm where assets actually sit.

Tracey Foster Milton, GISP, Waggoner's Director of GIS and Asset Management, emphasizes the importance of connecting accurate positioning with a functional GIS solution. Waggoner developed the GIS environment, configured field collection workflows, integrated the Bad Elf receiver with ArcGIS Field Maps, and trained Yazoo PSC staff to use the system.

That implementation connects field observations to an organized asset inventory.

Staff can work with existing records, add infrastructure information, and continue improving the data as their knowledge of the system grows.

A partnership centered on the people doing the work

Robert Stiff, Director of Water/Wastewater for Yazoo PSC, serves as Waggoner's primary client contact. The partnership places the technology in the context of utility operations and the personnel responsible for maintaining infrastructure.

During hands-on training, staff work with a tablet and a pole-mounted Flex receiver beside utility assets. Bad Elf supplies positioning, while ArcGIS Field Maps provides the mobile environment for recording and updating asset information. Practicing the workflow at the asset connects the map to the conditions crews encounter on the job.

One of Waggoner's primary objectives is client independence. With the system and training in place, PSC personnel can verify existing locations, collect new infrastructure information, and update GIS records without relying exclusively on outside consultants for routine field updates.

The hardware behind the workflow

The Bad Elf Flex Extreme is a full-size GNSS receiver with its RTK engine, multiple satellite constellations, and multiple frequencies unlocked. It connects to compatible phones and tablets through Bluetooth, allowing crews to use mobile GIS alongside dedicated positioning hardware.

With suitable corrections and favorable conditions, the Flex Extreme supports centimeter-level positioning. Bad Elf lists horizontal RTK performance of 8 millimeters plus 1 part per million. Satellite visibility, correction availability, and correct field setup affect the positions crews collect.

For field use, the Flex includes a sunlight-readable display, an integrated keypad, and an IP65-rated enclosure. Bad Elf lists 11 hours of battery operation in full RTK mode, with actual runtime depending on operating conditions. A rover pole supports positioning the receiver over the feature being recorded.

Accessing Mississippi's free correction network

The workflow uses the Gulf Coast Geospatial Center’s Real Time Network at the University of Southern Mississippi. USM reports that the network includes 52 continuously operating reference stations across Mississippi and provides access at no charge.

Real-time kinematic positioning, or RTK, uses reference-station correction data to refine a receiver's satellite-based position. An internet-delivered correction stream allows field staff to use the network without establishing their own local base station. Bad Elf supports these corrections through NTRIP, a protocol for delivering correction data over the internet.

For Yazoo PSC, this provides access to high-accuracy corrections without a separate correction subscription. Network registration and a suitable data connection remain part of the setup. Combining the available network with the Flex Extreme supports ongoing collection while avoiding that additional subscription expense.

Making every field visit more valuable

Waggoner's approach makes asset verification part of routine utility work. When PSC personnel complete repairs or have time available, they can check existing locations and update their GIS maps. New infrastructure information can enter the same workflow, keeping the inventory useful as the system changes.

Each field-verified point strengthens the record available to future crews. Over time, these updates can support maintenance planning, asset location during emergencies, and better operational decisions. The long-term value comes from giving the people who maintain the infrastructure a practical way to maintain its data as well. "Accurate GIS is about more than creating better maps. It supports faster emergency response, better decision-making, and more reliable utility operations." - Tracey Foster Milton, GISP

For utilities considering a similar approach, Esri's high-accuracy collection guidance explains receiver configuration, location profiles, accuracy requirements, and GPS metadata. These practices help teams turn precise positions into consistent GIS records.

Through its partnership with Yazoo PSC, Waggoner combines Bad Elf GNSS technology, Esri GIS solutions, and hands-on training to help utility staff build accurate asset inventories they can sustain over time. The result is a foundation for asset management that grows with the utility and remains useful in the field.