Opti's ​Anti Flooding ​System for Protection of Cities

U.S.-based Opti has developed technology that helps cities predict flooding, and better control where rain water is diverted and stored.

Opti has already attracted over $11 million in funding from impact investors, who want to prevent destruction and help the environment while achieving a financial return.

"We felt like it had the potential to have a really tremendous positive impact on resilience and pollution associated with storms," said Jeff Possick, managing director at MissionPoint Partners.

Possick, whose firm is Opti's largest investor, said the tech firm also represented an "attractive investment."

Image source: Opti Video Printscreen

How does it work?

One way that cities protect against flooding is by using retention ponds. When a storm hits, rainwater runs into these ponds, which store the water.

But major storms can bring too much water for the ponds to handle, and the resulting overflow often ends up in rivers or streams that burst their banks and cause flooding.

Opti helps prevent overflow with software that monitors weather forecasts and predicts how water levels in retention ponds should be adjusted.

As a big storm approaches, the Opti system will remotely open a discharge valve and drain ponds to make room for the expected rainfall. When the rain stops, the system will gradually release excess water in a way that doesn't overwhelm nearby rivers.

The technology won't eliminate flooding after a major natural disaster, but Opti says it can help limit the damage. It has already been installed at over 130 sites across 21 states in the U.S.

Hurricane Irma recently provided a real life test when it swept through Ormond Beach, Florida, where Opti systems are installed at five interconnected lakes.

The system drained the lakes as Irma approached, leaving them able to handle the eight inches of rain brought by the storm.

Read full article: CNN
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Taxonomy

• Technology
• Integrated Urban Water Management
• Flood Management
• Urban Water
• Flood Modeling
• Urban Resource Management
• Urban Water Supply
• Urban Water Infrastructure
• Flood management
• Flood damage
• Flood prediction
• Flood Risk Management