From scattered utility data to coordinated asset decisions.
Bernie Drahola works directly with water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities to connect GIS records, inspections, maintenance history, engineering projects, and capital plans into one clear, shared operational picture, no platform lock-in required.
- Vendor-neutral, practical guidance
- You keep ownership of your data
- Phased, one-problem-at-a-time approach
Your infrastructure information exists. It just doesn't always work together.
Most utilities already have the information they need. It's just spread across GIS databases, spreadsheets, paper inspection forms, work-order systems, engineering reports, capital plans, and the working knowledge of long-tenured staff. Individually, these sources are useful. Together, disconnected, they make it harder to see the whole picture.
- GIS databases and map layers
- Spreadsheets and shared drives
- Paper inspection forms and logs
- Work-order and maintenance systems
- Engineering reports and studies
- Capital plans and budget documents
- Outside consultants and contractors
One coordinated, shared picture that's built around how you already work
I help bring these sources together so field crews, managers, finance staff, GIS teams, and your engineering partners are working from the same current information, not separate copies. That means practical, hands-on consulting, not a mandatory piece of software.
One shared picture of your assets, work, risks, and projects.
Shared Asset Registry
A structured, map-based record of your water, wastewater, and stormwater assets that your whole organization can rely on.
Field Inspection Program Design
Mobile-friendly inspection workflows, photos, and observations that feed directly into asset history, without extra paperwork.
Maintenance History & Data Cleanup
Repairs, work performed, and recurring issues organized against each asset, so history isn't lost when staff change.
Risk & Priority Assessment
Transparent, understandable models that connect condition, criticality, and consequence to a clear set of priorities.
Capital Improvement Plan Support
Proposed projects linked to the assets, risks, and evidence behind them, from justification through construction.
Engineering & Team Coordination
Controlled, organized coordination so consulting engineers work from current data and results come back to one place.
The right information for every role.
Field & Operations
Easy access to maps, inspections, tasks, and asset history, without creating unnecessary paperwork.
Utility Leadership
A clear view of system condition, operational performance, risks, capital needs, and project status in one place.
Finance & Administration
A defensible connection between infrastructure risk, capital needs, long-term budgets, rates, and funding strategy.
Consulting Engineers
Organized, authorized access to current client data and a reliable way to return project information to the utility.
GIS & IT
Manageable permissions, data governance, data-quality controls, and compatibility with the systems you already run.
Boards & Councils
Understandable information on why projects are needed, which risks they address, and what deferring them may mean.
A working method, not a sales pitch.
These are the habits that shape every engagement, from a first conversation through a multi-year implementation.
- Start with the operational need, not a feature list
- Recommend before building anything custom
- Build on the information you already have
- Clarify responsibilities before work begins
- Improve data over time through everyday work
- Create repeatable processes, not one-off fixes
Better coordination with your consulting engineers, not competition.
I don't replace the consulting engineers you rely on for design, hydraulic modeling, permitting, and professional judgment. I help your utility build an authoritative information environment, and give your authorized engineers organized access to the assets and projects relevant to their assignment, so project results come back to one place instead of a dozen inboxes.
Who keeps control
- Your utility owns and controls its asset information at all times.
- Engineers receive access scoped to their current assignment.
- Project deliverables return to your shared environment, not a separate file.
Also the creator of yey’maps
Bernie is the founder of yey’maps, a GIS-based asset management software platform built for Southeastern utilities. It's one option among several. This consulting practice is independent of any single tool.
Start with the infrastructure challenge that matters most.
Whether it's a hydrant backlog, an aging main, a lift station, or a capital plan that needs better evidence, I start with your priority, not a standard package.