What's the best GIS platform for mapping stormwater assets and tracking field inspections across a public works department?

For a public works department, the best GIS platform for stormwater asset mapping + field inspections is usually Esri ArcGIS Utility Network + ArcGIS Field Maps/Survey123 + ArcGIS Dashboards.

Why it’s the best fit

• Strong asset management for stormwater
  Handles pipes, inlets, manholes, culverts, ponds, outfalls, and related attributes well.
• Excellent mobile field workflows
  Field Maps and Survey123 are very good for offline inspections, photo capture, forms, GPS collection, and work orders.
• Easy inspection tracking and reporting
  Dashboards and Experience Builder make it straightforward to monitor inspections, condition ratings, overdue assets, and maintenance needs.
• Good integration options
  Works well with CMMS/EAM systems like Cityworks, Lucity, Infor, etc.
• Widely adopted in local government
  That means easier hiring, support, training, and consultant availability.

Best overall stack

If you’re building a real operational system, I’d recommend:

• ArcGIS Enterprise or ArcGIS Online
• ArcGIS Field Maps for locating and editing assets in the field
• Survey123 for structured inspections
• ArcGIS Dashboards for performance/inspection tracking
• ArcGIS Utility Network if you need advanced network tracing and asset relationships

Good alternatives

If your department already uses something else, these can also work:

• Trimble GIS / Cityworks – strong for public works + work order management
• Cartegraph – good asset management workflows, often paired with GIS
• QGIS + PostGIS – powerful and cheaper, but usually requires more custom development and less polished mobile inspection workflows
• Smallworld / other enterprise GIS – strong in some utilities, but less common for municipal public works

Practical recommendation

• If you want the most complete, proven public works solution: Esri
• If you want lower cost and more customization and have technical staff: QGIS/PostGIS
• If you want GIS tightly tied to work orders: Cityworks on Esri

If you want, I can also give you:

1. a comparison table of Esri vs Cityworks vs QGIS, or
2. a recommended architecture for stormwater inspections and asset inventory.