Transforming Our Cities

Traditional approaches to stormwater management include construction of large, centralized end-of-pipe or interceptor solutions that can be extraordinarily expensive. The goal of this research is to look beyond conventional approaches to stormwater infrastructure and examine the effectiveness of various decentralized controls that use natural elements to dampen stormwater surges. Specifically, the research team continues to develop highly distributed real-time control (DRTC) technologies for green infrastructure, such as advanced rainwater harvesting systems, dynamically controlled green roofs, wet detention basins and underdrained bioretention systems. Particularly, the objective is to demonstrate that these systems can play a critical role in transforming our nation's urban infrastructure.