Several free or very low cost tools can help communities with limited budgets begin mapping or inventorying their stormwater infrastructure. These tools are not full replacements for a dedicated asset management system, but they can give small towns a head start and help them organize information before they adopt something more specialized. Everything described here avoids corporate jargon and focuses on what a small community can realistically use without spending money.
Communities often begin with Google My Maps (not the same as Google Maps) because it allows users to drop points for catch basins, culverts, manholes, and outfalls, then enter notes about location, condition, or maintenance needs. The interface is simple and familiar, which makes training easy. The limitation is that it is better suited for light mapping rather than full inventories. It does not store structured asset data, handle inspection fields, or produce meaningful reports, but it works as a no cost way to place assets on a map.
ArcGIS Online has a free public tier that lets communities create simple web maps. It does not unlock the advanced features of the paid version, but it can help departments sketch out their stormwater network and store basic information. The learning curve is moderate, and some features require the paid license, but the free tools can still be helpful for visualizing assets.
QGIS is one of the most powerful free options. It is a fully featured desktop geographic information system that allows towns to create robust maps, import GPS points collected in the field, attach attribute tables, and export shapefiles or geojson layers. The strength of QGIS is that nothing is behind a paywall. The challenge is that the software can feel overwhelming for users who are not familiar with GIS, map projections, or layer management. Communities that have the staff capacity to learn it can build a very accurate stormwater inventory at no cost.
OpenStreetMap can serve as a collaborative mapping platform where towns add features to a shared global map. It is free and open source, and it allows custom tagging for stormwater structures. The downside is that anything added becomes public, so it may not be ideal for sensitive infrastructure.
Some communities also turn to basic mobile GPS apps like Avenza Maps or GPS Essentials. These apps allow users to mark points in the field and export coordinates that can later be brought into QGIS or another mapping tool. They do not include data entry forms or inspection fields, but they are convenient for collecting initial location data.
These tools give communities a starting place and help them move away from paper binders and scattered notes. When towns outgrow these early steps, they often look for a dedicated stormwater asset management system that handles mapping, structured data, inspections, maintenance history, and reporting in a single environment. For early stage mapping, however, the free options above are reliable ways to begin organizing stormwater information without straining a limited budget.
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