2025-11-04 –, Lake Anne
Implementation of an Open Source Enterprise Spatial Data Infraestructure (SDI) at AyA in Costa Rica for water management, integrating data, centralizing databases, and deploying user-friendly tools to enhance decision-making, collaboration, and sustainability while reducing costs and improving efficiency.
At the core of the project was the consolidation of all spatial data into a centralized, enterprise-level geospatial database. This ensured consistent, high-quality data management and enabled real-time access and editing across departments and user profiles.
Custom GIS applications were developed for both desktop and web environments to support the visualization, analysis, and management of infrastructure assets such as water distribution systems, sanitation, and urban drainage networks. The platform serves a wide range of users—from field engineers to decision-makers at headquarters.
QGIS is used as the primary desktop GIS tool for spatial analysis and editing. On the web, QWC2 (QGIS Web Client 2) offers a lightweight, modern interface for map visualization and data querying. GeoNode functions as a spatial data catalog and publishing platform, promoting open data standards and facilitating both internal and public sharing of geospatial information.
The core database architecture is based on PostgreSQL clusters (using Patroni and PgCat) with PostGIS extensions, enabling powerful spatial queries and seamless GIS integration. Data ingestion, transformation, and validation are largely automated with Python scripts and PyQGIS. Giswater serves as a key interface between GIS and hydraulic modeling tools such as EPANET and SWMM, supporting simulation and operational planning of water networks.
To enhance monitoring and reporting capabilities, Apache Superset is used as a business intelligence tool. It allows the creation of interactive dashboards and KPIs that combine spatial and operational data, supporting transparency and data-driven strategic planning through real-time visualizations.
The entire system infrastructure is containerized using Docker and managed through Docker Compose. This setup ensures high availability, modular architecture, and simplified maintenance. Security is reinforced through strong authentication mechanisms, including Single Sign-On (SSO) and two-factor authentication (2FA), protecting access to sensitive systems and data.
Operational reliability is maintained through a comprehensive monitoring stack. Zabbix and Prometheus serve as core monitoring tools. Alloy collects logs, which are centralized in Loki. Alerting is handled by AlertManager and Zabbix, while Grafana provides dynamic visualization of metrics and logs. Together, these tools offer full visibility into system performance, availability, and resource usage, enabling both proactive and reactive issue resolution to maintain uninterrupted service.
With a career spanning over 30 years as a civil engineer, I have accumulated extensive experience in hydraulic modeling, water resource management, and infrastructure optimization. Over the last 15 years, my primary focus has been on designing and building open-source software solutions tailored for the water industry. My conviction is that technology should be accessible to all, regardless of the size or maturity level of the utility, enabling equitable access to innovative tools that drive sustainable water management.
My mission is to empower water utilities worldwide by leveraging open technologies, collaborative development, and data-driven decision-making to foster resilient, efficient, and sustainable water management practices.
As a Giswater Creator & Core Developer and Network Twin Consultant, as well as a Hydraulic Model Expert at BGEO, I am deeply passionate about transforming and optimizing water utilities through digital solutions driven by open innovation. My work focuses on developing and implementing open-source tools that empower utilities to enhance their operations, improve efficiency, and make data-driven decisions.
At BGEO OPEN GIS, my leadership is based on Service and empathy empowering my team while aligning with organitzational goald to create a positive and productive environment.
I actively contribute to the development and evolution of Giswater. Through this work, I aim to bridge the gap between engineering, technology, and real-world applications, providing water utilities with the tools they need to address their challenges in a cost-effective and scalable way.