Frequently Asked Questions | National Stormwater Trust

Case Study: SR-676 Hillsborough County Real-time water level and rain sensor data enable NST engineers to monitor a Smart Pond’s actual performance compared to predicted performance. This analysis is performed and submitted in an annual report to the Water Management District each year to confirm that each operational Smart Pond achieves the permit-required performance. NST retrofitted an FDOT pond on SR 676 in Hillsborough County with Continuous Monitoring and Adaptively Controlled (CMAC) equipment in December 2022. The pond was originally permitted and constructed as a wet detention facility as part of FDOT’s 2010 SR 676 road widening project. The facility receives runoff from an 11.57-acre drainage basin consisting mostly of roadway and commercial land uses. After the first full year of operation as a Smart Pond, the annual monitoring data demonstrated more than double the treatment efficiency prior to its upgrade. As initially designed and constructed, the stormwater facility provided the required 0.55 inches of wet detention treatment for the road project’s added impervious area. The permitted CMAC modification increased the efficiency of the treatment facility to a predicted treatment efficiency of 67.2% for Total Nitrogen removal, resulting in 2.02 acre-feet of additional equivalent treatment volume. The CMAC monitoring system tracks and records rainfall, pond elevation, pond volume, and valve opening data in real time. The initial 12 months of operational data ending in December 2023 demonstrates the pond site received a total of 38.07 inches of rain and fully captured (retained without discharge) 87.5% of the annual rainfall volume. While the total rainfall was less than predicted, the pond still significantly outperformed its modeled and permitted TN removal efficiency as shown in the following summary table:
37th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School Recap This year’s event in Marco Island was a resounding success, with participants gaining valuable insights into cutting-edge environmental solutions. In particular, we’d like to highlight the remarkable presentations by Mark Thomasson and Jack Fiveash, which delved into the fascinating realms of “Stormwater Nutrient Credit Trading, Smart Ponds and Resilience in Florida.” Mark Thomasson, P.E., Executive Vice President, Director of Engineering and Science – Chief Stormwater Engineer Water Quality Credit Trading Mark Thomasson served on a panel of experts that examined some recent examples of innovative nutrient trading, evaluated the legislation filed in 2022, and discussed some new approaches to managing nutrients in impaired watersheds. Mark took attendees on a journey into the world of “Smart Ponds” and how they are revolutionizing water quality management with the stormwater nutrient credit market in Florida. He shed light on how the integration of sensors, data analytics, and real-time monitoring can transform these ponds into intelligent systems. These “Smart Ponds” can autonomously adjust water levels, optimize treatment capacity, and their operation to achieve maximum effectiveness. Webinar: A Year in the Life of a Smart Pond For the first time, the National Stormwater Trust, Inc. live-streamed a webinar directly from Marco Island. A total of 71 attendees joined the presentation led by Mark to gain case study insights from a look back at the first year of a smart stormwater pond. John “Jack” Fiveash CEO and Co-Founder of NST Does Florida Need a New Resilient Approach to Development? Jack Fiveash was on a panel that delved into the critical topic of resilience in Florida’s complex environmental landscape. His presentation was focused on “Water Quality and Flood Resiliency: Becoming Fixers.” Jack discussed the National Stormwater Trust’s work for Babcock Ranch and the Florida Department of Transportation, initiatives aimed at managing and mitigating the impacts of stormwater runoff by investing in ‘Smart Pond’ infrastructure. Lessons Learned… The audience came prepared with ideas and ready to participate in what was a lively and thought-provoking discussion! As we move forward, we’re excited to see how these concepts will shape the future of stormwater management and sustainable development not only in Florida but across the globe. Whether in-person or on the live-stream, presentations left attendees inspired by the prospects of merging stormwater technology for a more sustainable future. Stay tuned for more updates, and thank you for being part of our engaged community!
Who is National Stormwater Trust, Inc. (NST)? NST is a stormwater-focused company that recently partnered with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to provide regional stormwater treatment services for the benefit of its customers and the environment.
What does NST do? NST permits, constructs, operates and maintains regional stormwater ponds and can permanently reserve for its customers a specified volume of treatment capacity to offset the stormwater treatment requirements associated with any size project.
How does it work? NST invests private capital to improve the water quality treatment provided in existing FDOT ponds, creating excess stormwater treatment “credit” that can be transferred to third parties in the region. Through efficient, system-wide management of stormwater infrastructure, and the deployment of state-of-the-art “smart-pond” technology, NST delivers flexible, cost-effective, resilient and environmentally sustainable stormwater solutions to its customers.
Why does outsourcing stormwater treatment make sense? NST provides its customers with turnkey, long-term stormwater ownership and management services, freeing up land or capital normally invested in constructing, operating and maintaining stormwater infrastructure. Included with the purchase of offsite stormwater treatment services from NST are the perpetual maintenance and regulatory costs of the offsite treatment. By centralizing the management of regional ponds utilizing advanced treatment technology, NST delivers efficient, professional services and improved regional water quality.
When and where is this service available? NST is currently offering stormwater treatment services in the Tampa Bay region. Permitted stormwater capacity is available now, and it takes approximately 90 days to complete a purchase. The rest of the Tampa-Orlando market and the Space Coast regions will be opening in 2020.