Syd Kitson Archives | National Stormwater Trust

Hurricane Resilient Babcock Ranch Doubles Down on Smart Stormwater Ponds

With the start of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season on the minds of many Floridians, southwest Florida community Babcock Ranch recently highlighted its “Resilient by Design” approach to continued community development. Babcock Ranch founder Syd Kitson delivered comments on his strategic vision while National Stormwater Trust was there to highlight our continued efforts to deliver Smart Pond technology to this visionary resilient community.

One community in Charlotte County, Babcock Ranch, was mostly unharmed by the flooding, protected in part by smart stormwater management technology that has changed the way stormwater is managed. Thanks to real-time flood forecasting capability of existing NST Smart Ponds, Babcock Ranch water managers and leaders had assurance that its large lakes had adequate storage to contain Hurricane Ian’s stormwater and protect the community’s homes, roadways and school.

Building on the resiliency success of Smart Pond technology at Babcock Ranch, the community is now doubling down on its smart stormwater management by installing additional Smart Ponds, and incorporating the technological functionality allowing water managers, in coordination with the water management district, to proactively lower lake water levels in advance of a large storm. These remotely-operable stations will benefit both Babcock Ranch and neighboring communities by expanding flood water storage capacity to capture even more runoff from larger storms.

“Until last September, we were known as America’s first solar-powered town. But then came Hurricane Ian, and our focus shifted from renewable energy and sustainability to resiliency,” said Kitson. “Ian put all that preparation, all that hard work and planning, everything, to the ultimate test. Our latest efforts to further fortify the community are a testament to our incredible team of partners that has factored storm safety into every element of the community to ensure our residents’ safety.”

While the primary focus for National Stormwater Trust is on improving water quality, when a storm the size of Hurricane Ian threatens Florida, their objective shifts to protecting communities and the environment from the flooding impacts of stormwater.

National Stormwater Trust is proud to be a partner with Babcock Ranch.

Babcock Ranch Boasts Latest Stormwater Technology

While Florida continues to dig out from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, many are looking for ways to improve the resiliency of their communities before the next storm season.

Alongside the recovery and rebuilding, many assessments about “what worked and what didn’t” are coming to light. When it comes to dangerous stormwater, new cutting-edge Smart Pond stormwater systems installed at Port Tampa Bay and at Babcock Ranch performed exactly as they were designed.

In the case of the Port Tampa Bay Smart Pond, neighboring homes and businesses avoided flooding, and 175,000 cubic feet of untreated stormwater was prevented from flowing into Tampa Bay.

Bottom line: NST’s Smart Pond systems strengthened the resiliency of both communities.

The success was such a ray of sunshine on an otherwise dark chapter that it’s garnered attention across the board.

“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 improving water quality. But when a storm of that size is headed towards Florida, our objective shifts to protecting 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: 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 more than 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 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.”

Babcock Ranch is the brainchild of Kitson, a 64-year-old former professional football player who made his name in the 1980s with the Green Bay Packers. He went on to found a real estate development company, Kitson & Partners, and Babcock Ranch is one of firm’s showcase projects.

Jennifer Languell is a sustainability engineer who helped design Babcock Ranch, and resident. “We felt you could develop and improve land, not just develop in a traditional way where people think you are destroying the land. We have a lot of open spaces. We have a lot of trails. We have
a lot of parks,” she says. “The things that we do, you don’t see. The strength of the buildings, or the infrastructure that deals with stormwater, or the utilities. You don’t see that stuff,” she says. “Which is good, because most people don’t need or want to think about it.”

How Smart Ponds Work

Most Floridians are familiar with traditional stormwater ponds. They are all around us in residential communities and commercial developments alike. Traditional ponds hold rain and stormwater runoff, however, in large storms, these ponds often overflow and flood the surrounding area with untreated stormwater.

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.

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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.

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