Controlling peak runoff from plots by coupling street storage with distributed real time control

A technical solution is developed to control stormwater runoff from plots in order to mitigate pluvial flood risk. Climate change alters precipitation patterns, which increase a risk for urban drainage systems (UDS) operating above their design limits. Therefore, feasible solutions are needed to retrofit UDSs to new climate conditions. In this study, street storage units (SSU) are coupled with a predictive real-time control algorithm to temporarily accumulate stormwater and thus minimise the risk of UDS surcharge. SSUs are operated in distributive mode and do not directly affect the flow in the pipeline, which makes the system less vulnerable to failures. SSUs are fully usable for citizens in dry periods. The results showed that control of 6% key inflows with SSUs reduced the number of flood nodes by 30% during an extreme weather event. The solution was successfully tested in Rakvere town, Estonia.

Automated summary

A technical solution using street storage units (SSU) and a real-time control algorithm has been developed to control stormwater runoff and mitigate flood risk during extreme weather events. The system was successfully tested in Rakvere town, Estonia, reducing the number of flood nodes by 30% by controlling 6% key inflows with SSUs.