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Maipú, Chile

Data Transformation and Transparency in Maipú Water Services

Project Type:
Health and Wellbeing, Infrastructure and Utilities, Public Safety

In 2021, Maipú was going through a serious crisis in the drinking water and sewage service: more than 20,000 water leaks flooded its streets that year, affecting the quality of life of more than half a million inhabitants. A neighborhood came to be nicknamed “the Venice of Maipú”, and one resident mentioned that some leaks in her neighborhood had been going on for more than two years.

The Municipal Drinking Water and Sewer Service (SMAPA), the only municipally managed water company in Chile, was struggling with aging infrastructure, inefficiency and limited resources, while public trust in local government was low due to measures taken by the previous administration: bad management and a deficit of $31 billion pesos ($31 million dollars).

In response, since taking office in June 2021, Mayor Tomás Vodanovic has prioritized the management of SMAPA as a cornerstone of his administration’s agenda. It was decided to invest an additional $5 billion ($5 million dollars) for the maintenance of drinking water and sewage networks. However, the key to success was improving tracking and analysis. To save resources, city staff inspected water infrastructure and worked closely with the public safety team. Through mixed patrols between professionals from different areas, the tours were more efficient, since they only needed a mobile phone to travel. They then took this data in the field and created comprehensive dashboards, allowing real-time monitoring and analysis of water and sewer service reports. Today Maipú can better allocate resources and proactively address more problems.

Image courtesy of the City of Maipú, Chile.

This work was supported by administration support, with a commitment to building a data culture across government. Maipú joined the Digital Transformation Leaders Network, participated in the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance, and city leaders are active members of the What Works Cities Certification Community. In each of these networks, Maipú has learned from other cities and has developed a disciplined, consistent and challenging approach to data.

For example, the Urban Advisory Department developed the Maipú Territorial Information System (SITMA), powered by technology with ArcGIS. This platform helps the City optimize resource allocation by breaking down data by neighborhood and provides transparency by allowing residents to monitor projects and report issues.

“We only measure in terms of improving people’s lives. It makes no sense to use graphs, numbers and bars just because of our love of numbers and figures, they must effectively push municipal management to have a greater impact on the people.”

Mayor Tomás Vodanovic

“Teams no longer come with proposals unless they have data. “Hey, I think that’s a good idea” isn’t enough. Now people come with a georeferenced proposal, analyzed or compared with other municipalities. In other words, analysis is already part of the process.”

Natalie González, leader of the Government Center in Maipú, Chile
Image courtesy of the City of Maipú, Chile.

Transparency and rebuilding public trust have been integral to Maipú’s efforts to improve SMAPA. Management launched a robust communications campaign, using social media, newsletters and community meetings to inform and engage residents. In addition, educational initiatives, such as the Museum of Water, share the history and importance of SMAPA as the only municipal water service in the country.

Maipú’s efforts bore fruit: the City went from 29,000 water leaks in 2021 to less than 2,000 in 2024. Today, Maipú’s innovative approach serves as a model for other cities that want to make their public services reliable for the community. This is a testament to what can be achieved when technology and transparency drive public service.

“The What Works Cities Certification is an important tool for recognition and internal mobilization. It shows that we value the good performance of city workers and is an example for others to follow.”

Mayor Tomás Vodanovic

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San Fernando, Chile

After the Flood, a Disaster Relief Upgrade

Project Type:
Environment, Health and Utilities, Infrastructure, Public Safety, Technology

At a Glance

100% of the municipal administrative process for climate emergency relief was digitized after the destructive floods of June 2023.

The average response time of the municipality to provide food and other assistance to flood victims in 2024 decreased from six to two days.

Introduced an emergency phone line that was able to receive a daily peak of 150 to 200 calls during winter emergencies, a significantly higher volume than its average of six calls per day.

Used data science to segment the population within the network of three primary health centers, which will reduce overcrowding in one of the centers by 79%.

In June 2023, disaster struck San Fernando. Residents of the provincial capital city, which sits along the Tinguiririca River in central Chile, watched as floodwaters rose following the heaviest rainfall to hit the region in decades. Nearly 600 families living in vulnerable neighborhoods were affected. Some lost everything.

To receive emergency aid, flood victims had to register with the government through a laborious process. The main communication channel connecting residents was the telephone—but the City could only handle eight calls at one time. Government officials met with affected residents, taking notes on paper to record individuals’ needs and locations. Sometimes documents would get wet and damaged, requiring additional work and slowing aid delivery. The analog process was time-consuming. Relief supplies, such as food and clothing, didn’t reach those in need for six days, on average.

Image courtesy of the City of San Fernando.

Following the disaster, the Municipality decided to create a Directorate for Disaster Risks, which leads and coordinates responses to climatic emergencies. (The Municipality also built a new retaining wall to mitigate future flood risks.) Leaders of this new office quickly made the decision to bring disaster relief administration into the 21st century, in support of San Fernando’s inaugural data governance strategy. Spanning 2024-25, it aims to improve data-driven decision-making, efficiency and performance management.

The Directorate analyzed and then digitized each part of the emergency aid registration process. Its team then implemented a cloud-based platform to capture data from in-person visits, including from a new GIS tool detailing exact locations of individuals in need. New digital infrastructure also sped up aid delivery reporting processes and allowed local officials to gain a more current understanding of disaster relief operations.

It didn’t take long for digitization to deliver value to residents. In 2024, the Tinguiririca River flooded again. There were fewer flood victims, thanks to improved physical barriers as well as flood awareness communications from the Directorate. The residents who did require aid saw help arrive within just two days, on average, thanks to faster relief registration and aid delivery processes.

Image courtesy of the City of San Fernando.

This is just one example of the benefits San Fernando is seeing as it upgrades its digital infrastructure, says Mayor Pablo Silva Perez. He created the City’s Continuous Improvement and Data Science departments after his election in 2021. “Better data infrastructure sets the stage for improving our operations and decision-making. We see how it improves our city, and we’re just getting started.”

“In an era of tight budgets, data-driven decision-making allows government to optimize the use of resources and maximize benefits to residents. The What Works Cities certification process is so valuable because it supports all this, and much more.”

Mayor Pablo Silva Perez
San Fernando Mayor Pablo Silva Perez meets with the What Works Cities Certification team.

“Data is an extraordinary tool for improving cities. If I could say one thing to leaders of cities around the world, it is: Don’t doubt the value of data and don’t hesitate to begin and then continue the work of creating a new governing normal.“

Mayor Pablo Silva Perez

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Las Condes, Chile

Crime Falls as Data-Driven Governance Rises

Project Type:
Community Engagement, Environment, Equity, Health and Wellbeing, Infrastructure, Public Safety, Technology, Transportation

At a Glance

More than 3,000 innovative security technologies, including cameras, sensors and drones in Las Condes. Of these, there are about 1,900 video surveillance cameras that stream data to an analytics software that detects possible crimes.

Robberies fell by 22% in 2023.

51 different movements the analytics program flags as potential problems.

Crime rates have risen in recent years in Latin America. But Las Condes, an affluent municipality of about 340,000 people that abuts Chile’s capital city, offers a different story: Its crime levels have fallen. For Las Condes’ leaders, this is proof that their strategy for improving public safety is working as planned.

Las Condes doesn’t have its own police force—instead there are municipal guards that are usually first responders. Municipal guards help uphold local regulations and maintain public order, but have limited law enforcement authority. Thus, state police forces are ultimately responsible for public safety. So leaders turned to technology, not manpower, to help make the city safer. Setting up a municipal network of security cameras around the city was key. To determine the most effective sites for thousands of cameras, the City identified locations with high numbers of thefts and other crimes between 2018 and 2022. The next step was integrating the cameras (there are now about 1,900 in place) with a predictive analytics software platform that could support fast police responses. The software analyzes data from the videos and automatically alerts municipal guards to potential crimes.

“For us, a smart city is not about gadgets; it’s a strategy and, of course, it’s always evolving.”

Daniela Peñaloza, Mayor

While Las Condes’ leaders were confident the security video network would boost safety, they also understood that residents had legitimate privacy concerns. To address them, officials make footage available to residents upon request. They’re also transparent about how the cameras are used—and how they fit into Las Condes’ larger public safety strategy.

Mayor Daniela Peñaloza calls the analytics system the City’s “brain.” And data-driven decision-making didn’t end once the strategy was up and running.

The City maintains a heat map detailing crime—e.g., where it happened, what was stolen, mode of transportation, etc. Each week, municipal inspectors review the map, while also tracking a predictive crime model fed by fresh data.

In 2022, crime fell across all categories except one: pedestrian robberies. After digging into the data, including video footage, officials realized there was a surge in crimes committed by people disguised as motorcycle delivery drivers. In response, the City’s public safety inspectors began using motorcycles to improve their mobility and address robbery hotspots. The result: Robberies dropped by 22% in 2023. As of May 2024, crime has dropped by 29% compared to the same period in 2023.

For Mayor Peñaloza, this is just one example that illustrates the power of data-driven governance. “In Las Condes, data paired with advanced analytics has become an essential part of our strategy for improving public safety,” she says.

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