Revolutionizing Water System

From Louisiana underwater to California in a drought, or simply the city pipes rupturing throughout the years. We have all experienced the consequences of an outdated stormwater system. Initially, our stormwater systems are constructed for a single purpose with little to no adaptation ability to climate change and rapid urbanization. This results in over flooding and excess runoff into fisheries, recreational sites and sources of drinking water (Branko-Kerkezt et al., 2016). With an addition of small real-time sensors to our existing system, we can potentially take full control of the flow of water. These sensors can determine when large storms are approaching or when a high level of contaminates are present. Once triggered, pipes, and cells are drained or controlled so there is no further spread. Such adaptive abilities can be beneficial in flooding prevention or regulation, 60% improvement in small particle removal, and water conservation (Branko-Kerkezt et al., 2016). If adopted throughout the U.S. we could begin capturing the flood waters in Louisiana and reusing it in California. The revolutionizing technology in real-time sensors truly brings a new perspective in environmental sustainability.

References

 Kerkez,B.  Gruden, C.  Lewis, M.  Montestruque, L.  Quigley, M.   Wong, B.  Bedig, A. Kertesz, R.  Braun, T.  Cadwalader, O.   Poresky, A.  Pak, C. (2016) Smarter Stormwater Systems. EST. J doi: 10.1021/acs.est.5b05870