How SiteMap® Provided a Long-Term Utility Records Solution for Cross Keys Village
When Cross Keys Village – The Brethren Home Community in New Oxford, Pennsylvania, reported a suspected water line leak, GPRS responded quickly with subsurface utility locating services. What began as an emergency locate quickly evolved into a comprehensive infrastructure visibility solution: a digital utility map of the entire 334-acre campus. Powered by verified data and centralized access through SiteMap®.
(Photo courtesy of Cross Keys Village – The Brethren Home Community) GPRS Project Manager Chris Pomraning responded to an emergency request for a utility locate at Cross Keys Village – The Brethren Home Community in New Oxford, Pennsylvania.
The Challenge: Missing Utility Records After Leadership Change
As one of the largest non-profit retirement communities in the U.S., Cross Keys Village includes hundreds of residential units and care facilities. Over the years, ongoing development had created a complex underground utility network. When the facility’s long-standing director retired – taking decades of institutional knowledge with him – the new leadership was left with outdated or missing records of the buried infrastructure.
“[The new facility director] was like, ‘The guy who just retired took a lot of institutional knowledge with him, and now I’m here holding the bag and the keys and I don’t really know where everything is,’” said Rhett Teller, Market Segment Leader for Facilities at GPRS. “Listening to his problem and trying to craft a customized solution for him was kind of our single objective walking into the initial meeting.”
Utility Locate Using EM and GPR Technology
GPRS Project Manager Chris Pomraning responded to the emergency request. Using an electromagnetic (EM) locator, he connected to a known copper line from inside a building to trace its path. When the line transitioned to plastic – rendering EM detection ineffective – Pomraning deployed ground penetrating radar (GPR) to continue the investigation.
GPR and EM locators are complementary technologies:
- EM locators trace metallic pipes and cables by detecting electromagnetic signals induced or naturally present in the lines.
- GPR transmits radar pulses into the ground to detect both metallic and non-metallic utilities, presenting data as hyperbolic signatures on a digital readout.
Together, these tools enabled Pomraning to trace the water line and determine that a coaxial cable had been bored through the pipe, compromising its structural integrity and causing the leak.
“We figured out the position of the leak because it was where a cable TV installer crossed the line,” Pomraning explained.
Turning Field Data into a Scalable Records Solution
SiteMap® is designed to provide accurate existing conditions documentation to protect assets and people.
After marking utilities on-site, Pomraning uploaded the findings into SiteMap®. This gave the facility team secure, 24/7 access to accurate infrastructure data across devices. Eliminating reliance on outdated drawings or fragmented institutional knowledge.
SiteMap® delivered immediate benefits:
- Interactive access to campus-wide utility maps from any device
- Consistent, digital records to support planning and operations
- Centralized data to reduce risk during maintenance and digging
- A scalable solution for long-term asset management
SiteMap® Pro for Ongoing Campus Support
Seeing the value of SiteMap®, the Cross Keys facilities team engaged GPRS for a broader solution. Teller, Business Development Manager Isaiah Runkle, and Area Manager Sam Hart collaborated with the client to implement a SiteMap® Pro agreement. This includes:
- Systematic mapping of campus-wide subsurface utilities
- On-demand video pipe inspection and leak detection
- Immediate support for emergency locate requests
“We’ve been really using every service,” Hart noted. “It’s been a really good relationship.”
SiteMap® is now the single source of truth for Cross Keys Village’s utility infrastructure – critical for planning, maintenance, and compliance across the lifecycle of the facility.
Expanding the Solution with SiteMap® Pro
Recognizing the value of having verified infrastructure data at their fingertips, the Cross Keys team expanded their engagement with GPRS. With support from Teller, Business Development Manager Isaiah Runkle, and Area Manager Sam Hart, they adopted a SiteMap® Pro service agreement.
This extended solution includes:
- Ongoing mapping of the entire campus
- On-demand emergency utility locating
- Video pipe inspection and leak detection services
- Long-term support for operations and maintenance
“We’ve been really using every service,” Hart said. “It’s been a really good relationship.”
“Really, [the facility director] was trying to solve his issue with the water line,” Teller added. “From that, we started talking about all the other things that we could help them solve, and creating an as-built was one of those.”
Centralized Records. Smarter Solutions.
For facility managers and contractors overseeing complex properties, SiteMap® turns uncertainty into confidence. With accurate, field-verified infrastructure records stored in a single, interactive software platform, Cross Keys Village transformed how it manages its facilities. What began as one urgent leak has evolved into a comprehensive solution – supporting safer, smarter operations campus-wide.
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