The challenge
Illegal structures on servitudes restrict access, damage pipes and endanger communities; a single encroachment-related burst can cost R500,000 to R2 million. Ground inspections cover 2–5 km a day, once every 1–2 years. We overlay your legal servitude boundary on high-resolution imagery and use change detection to flag new structures within days.
Scope and core objectives
Boundary mapping
Digitise legal servitudes into ArcGIS, cross-referenced with cadastral data and title deed conditions.
Baseline and change detection
Catalogue existing structures, then compare later acquisitions to flag new structures, land use change and clearance.
Field verification
Crews navigate to flagged sites with Field Maps and report in Survey123 with photographic evidence.
Legal documentation
Compile time-stamped evidence for PIE Act proceedings, insurance claims and regulatory reporting.
Capabilities
Remote sensing
Multi-temporal satellite and aerial imagery with AI-powered change detection across the whole corridor.
Accuracy
Detections geo-referenced to sub-metre accuracy and classified by severity.
Monitoring cadence
Repeat acquisitions at agreed intervals: daily, weekly or monthly.
What you receive
Baseline register
Every existing structure on the corridor catalogued and classified.
Flagged sites
New structures with location, severity, date of detection and current status.
Dashboard and alerts
ArcGIS Operations Dashboard with prioritised action lists and management reports.
Evidence pack
GPS-referenced, time-stamped record from first detection to resolution; SHP and KML files.
Proven locally
DRES, built with Esri for uMngeni-uThukela Water, monitors hundreds of km of high-pressure servitudes.
Act early
New structures detected within days, not weeks or months, before they become entrenched.
uMngeni-uThukela Water DRES
The Disaster Risk Encroachment Solution (DRES) is an end-to-end solution for combating servitude encroachment on uMngeni-uThukela Water infrastructure. Built on Esri ArcGIS, it monitors hundreds of kilometres of high-pressure pipeline servitudes so new structures are found early, before they restrict access, damage pipes or endanger communities.
- 1Detect. Encroachments detected using remote sensing and change detection.
- 2Track. Incidents displayed on monitoring and tracking dashboards tailored to each role.
- 3Verify. Field teams confirm each incident with a mobile verification app.
- 4Decide. Real-time decision-making and reporting for prompt intervention.
Scope a encroachment monitoring project
Every engagement starts with a joint scoping session. Tell us about your network and we'll come back with a proposal.