Suppose a project manager asks you to quickly turn around updated hydraulic results and plan sheets for a wastewater project, but the GIS and as-built data you received are incomplete and inconsistent. What specific steps would you take to validate the data, prioritize tasks, communicate risks, and still execute on the immediate project needs?

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VirtualInterview.AI · Accepted Answer

I’ve run into that exact situation on a 2‑MGD interceptor project with a 48‑hour turnaround request. First thing I do is triage: I compare GIS to as‑builts and CCTV logs, flag conflicts (inverts, diameters, pipe materials), and build a “confidence map” so we know which reaches are reliable. Where data is missing but critical, I’ll pull pump station SCADA, flow monitoring, and manhole survey points to back-calculate likely grades.

With the PM, I scope a ‘minimum viable update’: for example, focusing on the 20% of network affecting the new tie‑in and any surcharged segments. I document all assumptions directly in the model and on the plans, and I send a one‑page risk summary highlighting where results could shift once survey/as‑built verification comes in.

That approach has let us hit aggressive deadlines while keeping the client and QA/QC team aware of a ±0.1–0.2 ft sensitivity in key HGL points.

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