Owens, a meteorologist by training, hydrologist by virtue, and self-taught geographic information system (GIS) engineer by practice, streamlined the work of TDEC inspectors with enterprise GIS technology. Designing a System Around How Inspectors WorkAbout one in five Americans lives in a home that relies on a septic system. A malfunctioning or ill-fitted septic system can pollute wells of drinking water and springs. “It’s different from the typical mapping and analysis you might associate with GIS,” Owens said. A “Flintstones to Jetsons” Digital TransformationAs recently as seven years ago, Tennessee septic permit data existed entirely on paper.