Data-driven Precision Surface Water Management for Urban Environments

Increasing levels of urbanization and climate change dictate that managing surface water in cities is an area of major concern. At present the maintainers of the surface water drainage infrastructure have a limited understanding of the way in which this network operates and how it should best be maintained to protect citizens from the risks of flooding and environmental damage through pollution. Existing systems, pioneered by members of this consortium, have recently enabled new forms of intelligent maintenance regimes but their effectiveness is severely constrained by the limited data available. In this project we will create a system that delivers a step-change in the quality and quantity of data available from our urban water infrastructure and enables a transformation in our understanding of the network and how best it can be maintained. If successful we will deliver a world-class urban surface water management system that can be used to increase the effectiveness of city maintenance practices, support new data-driven applications and reduce overall costs in a time of increasing urbanization.