Each year, Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T) selects top papers in four categories that tell compelling stories about environmental problems that matter to communities. Geosyntec's Aaron Poresky collaborated on "Smarter Stormwater Systems" which was selected as the top "feature" paper for ES&T's Best Papers of 2016.

ES&T selected the winners from a competitive field of approximately 1600 papers that cover the full spectrum of environmental quality research. Best Paper winners are exceptionally innovative, substantive, well-written, and introduce new ideas and applications to solve critical problems facing society.

"Smarter Stormwater Systems" discusses a new class of stormwater management systems that use sensors and data feeds with controllers and advanced control logic.  These systems adapt the operation of stormwater controls in response to individual storm events and longer-term changes in landscape, climate, and system knowledge. These systems are often implemented as a retrofit of existing infrastructure with limited construction effort to significantly improve flow control, increase pollutant reduction performance, and decrease life-cycle costs. Applying these adaptive platforms across a system (site, utility, watershed) allows communities to adjust to changing conditions, enhance operational flexibility, coordinate operations and maintenance, and report progress in real-time.  This allows communities to cost-effectively meet challenges imposed by climate change, rapid urbanization, and evolving regulations. In 2014, Geosyntec spun off a Software as Service Company (OptiRTC) dedicated to pursuing the commercialization of such systems.

Geosyntec is helping clients across the United States evaluate, implement, manage, and adapt solutions using smart stormwater technology offered by Opti. The Opti technology is designed to address stormwater management and combined sewage overflow problems. The article highlights two projects: the work Geosyntec performed in partnership with Opti and Clean Water Services to improve the effectiveness of their watershed protection and rehabilitation efforts; and a Geosyntec pilot project, in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin and Opti, for pollutant removal from a stormwater detention pond in the City of Pflugerville, Texas.

Co-authors for the article were Branko Kerkez and Brandon Wong from the University of Michigan; Cyndee Gruden from the University of Toledo; Dr. Matt Lewis from Michigan Aerospace; Dr. Luis Montestruque, Ruben Kertesz, and Tim Braun from EmNet; Marcus Quigley, Alex Bedig, and Owen Cadwalader from OptiRTC; and Carrie Pak from Clean Water Services (now with Tualatin Valley Water District). Collaborators on this article and the referenced case studies included Richard Boyle, Jadene Stensland, and Andy Braun of Clean Water Services, and Adam McGuire, Lucas Nguyen, David Roman, Brandon Klenzendorf, Marty Christman, and Eric Strecker of Geosyntec.

More Information

Read the article: Smarter Stormwater Systems
See ES&T's Best Papers of 2016
For more information on Smart Stormwater Systems, contact Aaron Poresky This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
More about Aaron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronporesky/