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Smart Pond Technology Successfully Tested During Hurricane Ian

babcock ranch and tampa bay region results are in

While Southwest Florida continues to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, many are looking for ways to improve the resiliency of their communities before the next large storm. One very positive story to emerge in the aftermath of the hurricane is the performance of state-of-the-art smart stormwater management technology provided by National Stormwater Trust, Inc. (NST).

Babcock Ranch, located in hard-hit Charlotte County, and Port Tampa Bay validated their decisions to invest in NST Smart Pond stormwater technology to improve resiliency.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the performance of our six NST Smart Ponds that were in the path of Hurricane Ian. Our primary focus is on improving water quality. But when a storm of that size is headed towards Florida, our objective shifts to protecting our communities and the environment from the flooding impacts of stormwater,” said Jeff Littlejohn, National Stormwater Trust Co-Founder.

THE RESULTS ARE IN

Tampa Bay & Port Tampa Bay Area (State Road 45/1701 Maritime Blvd.)

The water level in this Smart Pond was automatically lowered by almost four feet before the first hurricane bands began to impact the region. That extra storage enabled the Smart Pond to capture over 175,000 cubic feet of untreated stormwater, preventing its discharge into the neighboring community and nearby Tampa Bay.

Babcock Ranch

NST Smart Ponds in this Southwest Florida residential community located near the Caloosahatchee River used live rainfall forecasts to project the impact of the storm before its arrival. This real-time flood forecasting capability gave the community’s leaders assurance that its large lakes had adequate storage to contain the stormwater and protect the homes, roadways, and schools.

“This confirms for the me the value of smart stormwater technology,” said Syd Kitson, Chairman and CEO, Kitson & Partners. “As our community grows, we look forward to continued collaboration with NST to incorporate their Smart Pond technology.”

State-of-the-Art Smart Stormwater Management Technology Successfully Tested at Babcock Ranch and in the Tampa Bay Region During Hurricane Ian

TALLAHASSEE, Fla (October 19 or 20, 2022) – While much of Florida continues to dig out from the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, many are looking for ways to improve the resiliency of their communities before the next large storm. One very positive story to emerge in the aftermath of the hurricane is the performance of state-of-the-art smart stormwater management technology provided by National Stormwater Trust, Inc. (NST).

Babcock Ranch, located in hard-hit Charlotte County, and Port Tampa Bay validated their decisions to invest in NST Smart Pond stormwater technology to improve resiliency.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the performance of our six NST Smart Ponds that were in the path of Hurricane Ian. Our primary focus is on improving water quality. But when a storm of that size is headed towards Florida, our objective shifts to protecting our communities and the environment from the flooding impacts of stormwater,” said Jeff Littlejohn, National Stormwater Trust Co-Founder.

THE RESULTS ARE IN:

  • Tampa Bay & Port Tampa Bay Area (State Road 45/1701 Maritime Blvd.): The water level in this Smart Pond was automatically lowered by almost four feet before the first hurricane bands began to impact the region. That extra storage enabled the Smart Pond to capture over 175,000 cubic feet of untreated stormwater, preventing its discharge into the neighboring community and nearby Tampa Bay.
  • Babcock Ranch: NST Smart Ponds in this Southwest Florida residential community located near the Caloosahatchee River used live rainfall forecasts to project the impact of the storm before its arrival. This real-time flood forecasting capability gave the community’s leaders assurance that its large lakes had adequate storage to contain the stormwater and protect the homes, roadways, and schools.

“This confirms for the me the value of smart stormwater technology,” said Syd Kitson, Chairman and CEO, Kitson & Partners. “As our community grows, we look forward to continued collaboration with NST to incorporate their Smart Pond technology.”

HOW SMART PONDS WORK:

Most Floridians are familiar with a traditional stormwater pond. They are all around us in residential communities, commercial and business districts, airports, seaports, and similar developments. Traditional ponds hold rain and stormwater runoff. However, in large storms, these ponds often overflow and flood the surrounding area with untreated stormwater.

The latest innovation in stormwater management is to connect a pond to live weather forecast data and use that information to project water levels and, if necessary, automatically lower its water level before a storm arrives. While the sun is still shining, an NST Smart Pond can actively drain itself to increase its flood storage capacity while in constant communication with professional stormwater managers who can oversee its performance and even remotely control the pond. These are exactly the steps that National Stormwater Trust engineers took in advance of Hurricane Ian’s landfall in Southwest Florida.

Both Babcock Ranch and Port Tampa Bay are making additional investments in Smart Pond technology to provide even greater protections from future storms.

SMART POND TECHNOLOGY IN FLORIDA:

National Stormwater Trust is working with businesses, local governments, and residential communities across Florida to deploy the latest smart stormwater technology from OptiRTC, the leader in forecast-based control of stormwater infrastructure. Additional Smart Ponds are scheduled for installation in the Tampa Bay area and will soon be in communities like the LeeVista Center in Orlando, JAXPORT, Port Canaveral, and Seascape in Florida’s Panhandle, and America’s favorite retirement community – The Villages.

Smart stormwater technology is available for others interested in improving water quality while also providing storm resilient flood protection. This is the future of stormwater management, and it’s right here in Florida.

# # #

Tampa Bay-Area Smart Pond Hurricane Prep Underway

Converting from Water Quality to Flood Protection Status to Protect Tampa Bay, Homes and Businesses

Similar Hurricane Prep Underway at Babcock Ranch Smart Ponds

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (September 26, 2022) – The National Stormwater Trust, Inc. (NST) has activated its Hurricane Preparation Plan and is actively preparing to convert its Tampa Bay-area Smart Pond from water quality to flood protection status in order to increase stormwater storage capability for Hurricane Ian. Converting to flood protection status will allow this cutting-edge technology to better protect Tampa Bay and area homes and businesses from stormwater that will result from Hurricane Ian.

 

“Our Smart Pond technology is monitoring weather forecasts and predicting stormwater volume that will be needed to help prevent runoff from entering Tampa Bay and homes and businesses near the Bay,” said Jeff Littlejohn, National Stormwater Trust Co-Founder. “This cutting-edge technology allows us to remotely release clean water from the pond in order to make room for anticipated heavy rain and stormwater runoff from Hurricane Ian.”

 

NST and its cloud-based stormwater management system is strengthening water quality and providing flood resiliency at levels not achievable with a conventional stormwater pond. By leveraging real-time weather forecasting and automated flood controls, the water level in Smart Ponds is actively managed to maximize its water quality treatment and flood protection performance.

 

The Tampa Bay-area Smart Pond is located adjacent to Port Tampa Bay on State Road 45. Water quality and flood resiliency outcomes at the SR 45 Smart Pond are providing stronger environmental benefits for Tampa Bay over a conventional stormwater pond, including:

  •      +2.73 AC-FT in Additional Treatment Volume
  •      44% Increase in Nitrogen Removal
  •      +4.39 AC-FT Controllable Flood Attenuation Volume
  •      84% Increase in Flood Attenuation Volume

 

The SR 45 Smart Pond adjacent to Port Tampa Bay will be fully converted to flood protection status 12 hours before heavy rainfall begins.

 

NST Smart Ponds located at Babcock Ranch are undergoing similar hurricane preparation efforts, with local water managers tapping into the NST data to determine the appropriate time to lower area lakes.

 

# # #

 

ABOUT NATIONAL STORMWATER TRUST: Providing public and private organizations with unparalleled stormwater infrastructure solutions and improving water quality for the communities we serve. Visit us at www.NationalStormwater.com.

Smart Water: Stormwater Ponds That Manage Themselves

Smart Water: Stormwater Ponds That Manage Themselves

Engineering News-Record
JUNE 27/JULY 4, 2022 

On June 9, a pond near Port Tampa Bay began emptying itself. The water level in the pond dropped about 10 in., emptying almost 70,000 cu ft of water into Tampa Bay. It wasn’t quite enough to catch the 2.8 in. of rain that fell in one hour on June 10, but Jeff Littlejohn, president with National Stormwater Trust (NST) considers it
a success for the group’s new Smart Pond technology.

Read the Entire Article

Babcock Schools Adds NST Data to Education Curriculum

Babcock Ranch, home to three National Stormwater Trust (NST) Smart Ponds, is the first Florida community to provide educators and students the opportunity to tap into real-world problem-solving opportunities in their own backyard.

Data from the OptiRTC cloud-based software that manages stormwater at NST’s Babcock Ranch Smart Ponds, will be shared with student learners at Babcock Schools, providing them an opportunity to learn from the data and discover how it helps manage the communities most precious resource – fresh water.

SHANNON TREECE

Babcock’s surface water management system, designed with extensive input from environmental experts and in partnership with NST, takes its lead from nature. The expansive lakes, wetlands, filter marshes and rain gardens that restore natural habitat, are part of the comprehensive system that mimic nature to slow, capture and filter water as it migrates to the Caloosahatchee River.

“Babcock Schools are deeply rooted in Project-Based learning experiences that expose our student learners to real-world problem-solving opportunities. The ability to access data that is real and directly correlates to the water levels in our community provides immediate relevancy to learning. That is a game changer, it isn’t textbook data…it is Babcock Ranch data, that changes everything,” Shannon Treece, Executive Director, Babcock Schools.

Second Port Tampa Bay Smart Pond to Benefit New Port Redwing Development

On the heels of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s recent visit to Port Tampa Bay as part of the Building a Better America Tour, the National Stormwater Trust (NST) is pleased to announce that it will continue strengthening water quality and flood resiliency in Tampa Bay with the second in a program of Smart Pond installations.

Port Tampa Bay is a recipient of a REACH Grant to help build a new berth at Port Redwing that will add capacity, increase efficiency, create hundreds of local jobs and strengthen supply chains at one of the country’s busiest ports.

As part of the port’s ongoing stormwater management program, NST will install a Smart Pond in an existing Florida Department of Transportation stormwater pond adjacent to State Road 676, which connects through canal to Tampa Bay.

By utilizing an FDOT Smart Pond from NST, Port Tampa Bay can ensure that 100 percent of its available land for tenants can be used to meet the new berth needs at Port Redwing. The Port is also ensuring it meets its goal of protecting Tampa Bay, since the project will have a net water quality benefit.

Port Tampa Bay Environmental Director Christopher Cooley sees in Smart Ponds a middle ground between conventional ponds that take up lots of land and expensive vaults that store lots of water. He also sees an option that could have other benefits for the port, such as opening up valuable acreage.

“This technology is creating a better net gain for the environment with more nitrogen treatment, and is increasing the amount of usable space for Port Tampa Bay,” Cooley explained.

In locations where the port is expanding and land values are high, the smaller-footprint Spart Ponds free up needed space for product and materials, which is another strategy to help ease ongoing supply chain issues.

“We get more space for less dollars in our high, heavy-load areas,” Cooley says.

Track Record of Success: Babcock Ranch

The National Stormwater Trust has a track record of success. Babcock Ranch enlisted NST to further strengthen this planned living community where technology and nature work together.

Fresh water is Babcock Ranch’s most precious resources, and stormwater management is one of the key components of maintaining this sustainable resource.

Babcock’s surface water management system, designed with extensive input from environmental experts and in partnership with the National Stormwater Trust, takes its lead from nature. The expansive lakes, wetlands, filter marshes and rain gardens that restore natural habitat, are part of the comprehensive system that mimic nature to slow, capture and filter water as it migrates to the Caloosahatchee River. And it’s all managed with state-of-the-art Smart Pond technology.

Tapping Into the NST Solution: JAXPORT, LeeVista Center and The Villages

Count JAXPORT, Orlando’s LeeVista Center and The Villages among the latest to call on National Stormwater Trust (NST) for Smart Pond stormwater management solutions.

NST’s Smart Pond technology is the future of stormwater management, making stormwater cleaner while also providing flood protection resiliency. And the real-time, data-driven technology provides the visibility, trust and security that top brands are turning to.

JAXPORT, Florida’s largest container port and one of the nation’s largest vehicle-handling ports, will soon incorporate Smart Pond technology at JCT Blount Island. A key seaport playing a leading role addressing supply chain needs, JAXPORT will upgrade an existing stormwater pond into a Smart Pond, allowing the port to maximize existing land to expand tenant activities, while improving water quality in the St. Johns River.

For LeeVista Center, Orlando’s premier mixed-use business park, they’re mission is to maximize value for its tenants, employees and residents. Therefore, NST will tap into existing man-made lakes, incorporate Smart Pond technology, and further strengthen on-site water quality.

At Florida’s friendliest retirement community, The Villages has long been the gold standard in smart management of their water resources. They’re incorporating NST’s Smart Pond technology to further strengthen their stormwater harvesting program, which provides recycled water for golf course irrigation.

The diverse application of this technology makes it ideal for airports, seaports, commercial developments and planned residential communities, and the track record of success shows it’s working.

“Smart growth and preservation can work together, and that’s why we enlisted the help of the National Stormwater Trust to provide the latest Smart Pond technology to protect the people, property and environment at Babcock Ranch. This technology is not only improving water quality, it provides data-driven resilience and flood protection, and is the future of stormwater management,” Syd Kitson, Chairman/CEO, Kitson & Partners.

The Future of Stormwater Management

The Tampa region will be better protected from stormwater flooding thanks to new Smart Pond technology. It’s the future of stormwater management and Tampa homes, businesses and the waters of Tampa Bay are the beneficiaries.

While the pond may look like an ordinary stormwater pond, it has actually been transformed with dynamic technology that arms the region with real-time, data-driven tools that provide visibility, trust and security to better protect the region.

This Smart Pond is not only flood resilient; it significantly improves water quality. That’s essential given its proximity to Tampa Bay.

By leveraging real-time weather forecasting and automated controls, the water level in this innovative stormwater pond is actively managed to maximize its water quality treatment and flood protection performance. In fact, the secure, remote access allows National Stormwater Trust to monitor the nitrogen levels and the overall quality of water holding in this Smart Pond.

With about 1,000 people moving to Florida each day, meeting Florida’s growth needs requires that Florida grow smarter. National Stormwater Trust is helping Florida meeting future growth needs.

Contact us to see how Smart Pond technology may be right for your next project.

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