Sensor networks that enable real-time control of stormwater infrastructure could dramatically improve urban water quality, reduce flooding, and revolutionize how these systems are managed. Branko Kerkez, U-M assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, is the lead writer of a piece on this approach that was selected as the top feature article of 2016 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T).
ES&T is the top journal in the environmental and water resources engineering field.
Kerkez leads open-storm.org, a major initiative to organize an open-source consortium and share information and experiences about real-time stormwater control.
“By coupling the flow of water with the flow of information, modern stormwater infrastructure will adapt itself in real-time to changing storms and land uses, while simultaneously providing a highly cost-effective solution for cities that are otherwise forced to spend billions on stormwater reconstruction,” he writes in the feature article.
