Staying Out of Trouble Made Easier
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a municipality or a federal agency such as the EPA; if you don’t have the numbers they expect, when they expect them, regardless of the operational challenges at hand, then you’ve added a major challenge to an already full plate. It gets even worse if you don’t have a way to study the information as the year progresses so not only do you know you’re on the right track, but you can focus on the day-to-day concerns of your facility. Plus, there are times when knowing more about the physical elements can help you stay within your budget or even save money.
Many developers and site supervisors, as well as municipalities, are turning to software packages specially designed to help manage the stormwater permitting process. Toby Davis, vice president with CBI Systems Ltd. in Beaumont, TX, explains, “Our MS4 Permit Manager software, which took over four years to develop, is in use all over the country in municipal operations, countywide systems, and military bases. The program helps users manage, track, and compile data for every aspect of Phase I and II MS4 [municipal separate storm sewer system] permits. It takes our clients just a few days to be fairly efficient at using the software.” The software helps users keep track of such elements as outfall inventories and maps, schedules, water-quality monitoring data, and budget information. Another CBI Systems program, Construction Permit Manager, helps develop and manage stormwater pollution prevention plans for construction sites and keep track of inspection schedules.
“Generally, a day of training helps get users comfortable with the software. From time to time, though, we hold two-day seminars,” says Davis. He points out that the software allows users to organize and manage the data for the implementation of the program as well as tracking the costs involved.
“All data is in one spot. There’s just one database. It’s automatically generated and helps users manage their programs and quickly generate annual report documents.” Davis emphasizes, “This software has allowed regulated MS4s to streamline and fine-tune their stormwater management programs. It also has helped in the audit process to ensure EPA regulations are more thoroughly answered.” In essence, the MS4 Permit Manager gives users more room to focus on the other challenges on their plate.
Help for a Troubled Campus
On land with a less-than-1% grade, one would think stormwater would not be a problem, especially in Lubbock, TX, where 18 inches of rain in a whole year is typical. “When we get rain it just floods. It overwhelms our system because we have only one curbed inlet in the middle of the campus,” comments Adolfo Varela, stormwater specialist for Texas Tech University. He reports that while annual rainfall is scanty, when it does rain, 1 to 1.5 inches an hour is not uncommon. Neither is the impact of 30,000 students, with 50,000 people on campus during a football game.
“We had 15,000 cars when Bobby Knight broke the record for the most wins in basketball. Plus, Lubbock is in the middle of the largest cotton-growing area in the US.” When it rains the university also can be inundated with runoff from off campus coming on campus.
The 40-year-old stormwater system for the nearly 2,000-acre campus consists of less than 5 miles of pipe, with the main pipe measuring 18 inches in diameter. “We track different activities to consider their impact on the university, especially the parking lot. The parking lots get hot in the summer, which results in potholes, and even a broken pipe now and then. So our task is to keep the system working as efficiently as we can.”
When asked the size of the crew, he responds, “You’re talking to it.” Varela credits CBI Systems’ software for making it possible to increase program efficiency. He reports it was easy to understand, with a two-day seminar getting him under way and helping him find faster solutions to reoccurring problems.
Varela adds that he had special visitors on campus in 2005: the EPA. “They saw that we met all the requirements for NPDES and gave us a good grade. They didn’t find any problems with construction, education, flood control, or grounds maintenance. Part of that reason is the university has a good crew of groundskeepers picking up trash, leaf litter, and so forth. Trash is a problem at Texas Tech because 25- to 35-mile-an-hour winds are common.” He adds, “When people ask a few questions about our stormwater control, I have the answers.”
 |
Photo: South Florida Water Management District |
| Submerged water control structure in wake of Tropical Storm Ernesto |
Internet-Based Assistance
Another source of help with the ins and outs of the permitting process is Web-based. During his 15 years as a Los Angles–based attorney, Larry Goldenhersh encountered many cases dealing with large corporations confronting the realities of regulation burdens. He came to realize that the compliance space had immensely complex problems. With that realization, in 1999 he founded Enviance Inc. in Carlsbad, CA.
The company’s products are designed to input lab results directly into the system, automatically track and respond to permit limit exceedances, and provide information for review and reporting anytime and anywhere needed. The Internet-based system helps users with, among other options, stormwater pollution prevention plans.
Overcoming Obstacles
Incorporating watershed features into a geographical information system (GIS) and conducting GIS modeling has become essential to many stormwater managers. eMap International provides software to help map impervious surfaces and other features. Speaking from his office in Longmont, CO, Jeff Liedtke, chief operations officer, comments, “For those with GIS, it’s an easy transition for helping in strategic corporation or municipal planning.”
He notes that GIS helps users decide which problems in their system should be addressed first. After emergencies are solved, the software aids in long-range planning. These two components help reduce immediate and long-range costs.
Speaking from 20 years dealing with stormwater concerns, Liedtke offers some reasons clients are using eMap International mapping systems. “For example, in Florida where a lot of land is close to sea level, it requires a lot of planning without compromising existing environmental features,” he says. Some soils in the southwest US, he notes, have hard deposits that make digging and trenching difficult. Some areas such as the Southeast have greater areas of tree canopy.
He comments that using maps for hydrologic modeling helps contractors bid correctly on a project. This helps both contractors and municipalities win. There will be fewer cost overruns and a better estimate of completion dates. “eMap also helps cities in establishing stormwater utility fees, because they can accurately compute the cost of the project so that fees pay for the project in a timely manner,” Liedtke says. Typically, fees are based on the amount of impervious surface within the scope of the project. Accurate fee rates—along with the numbers gained by proper mapping—show residents and business owners that the numbers on their utility bills are fair.
Other services offered by the firm include project management, specification development, quality assurance and quality control programs, business plan development, and strategic plan formulation.
Let Your Pipes Speak
When it comes to pipeline inspection, some powerful and affordable technologies have emerged to better control problems caused by pipeline failures. Says Joe Purtell, CUES Software Division director, “Under the EPA’s BMP [best management practice] framework, stormwater NPDES regulatory compliance can be met by using a watershed-based strategy for controlling both point- and nonpoint-source pollution.”
He emphases that the key linchpin depends on creating foundational data architecture to properly support the NPDES program. Stormwater operators must first inventory their assets and conduct condition assessments of as much of the systems as possible. “With the surge in adoption of municipal asset management practices, system owners establish life cycle costs for every asset they own, which can dictate whether rehabilitation or replacement is the best fiscal decision. It can be as simple as replacing a pipe that has reached its end of life instead of repeat patches.”
This is easier if the operation has the correct tools. CUES, a leading provider of pipeline inspection equipment, has a software package, Granite XP, which is used in the field and in the office. “This software package is a comprehensive pipeline condition and decision support software solution,” Purtell explains.
With the program, system owners and managers can load tens of thousands of assets to give inspectors precise data at their fingertips. The system is regularly synchronized and updated from the field. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) videos, inclination surveys, manhole inspections, lateral inspections, global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, and other asset inspection data are collected by the software. Purtell continues, “During a visual inspection using a CCTV camera, trained inspectors code the nature and severity of defects seen in the pipe to allow it to be scored and prioritized for rehabilitation or replacement.”
The program fills in the information gaps by allowing field crews to create detailed asset information based on actual findings. GPS coordinates help in creating precise maps of the stormwater mains and laterals. He explains that where no GIS exists, Granite XP can create one from scratch, based on data collected in the field with the company’s Wireless GPS Mapping Stick. This handheld device captures submeter GPS coordinates and transmits them wirelessly into Granite XP from up to 2,000 feet away, which is particularly useful for stormwater control in rural areas. This makes possible easy adaptation of a watershed-based approach to stormwater management such as flood evaluation, monitoring downstream pollutant loadings, and analyzing consequences of failure scenarios.
Granite XP’s Universal Scoring module allows decision-makers to apply customized formulas to better rank and prioritize pipe repair and replacement. Developing a predictive model allows the system owner to become more efficient and proactive by knowing the type of rehab work to be performed. It also allows the system owner to assess the relative economic costs and benefits to make well-informed decisions.
Aries Industries Inc. in Waukesha, WI, also supplies standard and custom-built television inspection equipment for internal inspection of pipelines, including the Micro Television Camera, a compact, waterproof, self-contained camera that can withstand the conditions in storm and sanitary sewer pipelines. Larger pan-and-tilt cameras are able to monitor environmental conditions and warn the operator if temperature, humidity, or pressure exceed the camera’s operating parameters.
Another leading hardware supplier dealing with groundwater and surface water monitoring equipment is Solinst Canada Ltd. of Georgetown, Ontario. The firm has been manufacturing groundwater instrumentation since 1980 when Doug Belshaw recognized the need for easy-to-use monitoring equipment. Although Belshaw started with a single product for US hydrologists, today the company offers a host of products worldwide for hydrogeologists and hydrologists to help determine site characteristics, aid in spill investigations, and perform long-term water monitoring.
Saving Money and Avoiding Surprises
Another advantage to checking pipe conditions is to do so before engaging in any changes to the surface. Bellingham, WA, is a good example of how checking pipe condition before bidding out a major road improvement project saved the city—and the contractor—money and surprises. Engineering Manager Ravyn Whitewolf for this city of 75,000 says, “By checking the condition of water and sewer mains, especially the older portions where pipes have no historical data, we knew which spots in this 5-mile pavement overlay improvement project required excavation and pipe replacement. This helped contractors bidding on the job, which included both pipe replacement and street overlay, more accurately know what was expected in the contract.”
Whitewolf explains this strategy eliminated cost overrides and helped ensure the project would be finished on schedule. The correlation between stormwater pipe condition assessment and the scheduled pavement overlay saved Bellingham a lot of money. “This has saved a lot of ripping up of new pavement because pipes in poor condition were replaced before the overlay.”
The city uses a CCTV inspection vehicle from CUES to pinpoint storm pipe replacement needs. This project marked the first time the city had been able to centralize information, which helped save time in writing up project specifications before asking for bids.
Modeling Solutions Have Answers Even for Earthquakes
Another provider of software for analyzing flows is Bentley Systems of Watertown, CT. “Analyzing flows in stormwater systems is a complex task,” says Bentley’s Andres Gutierrez. He emphasizes that the calculations involved are often tedious, time consuming, and sometimes even impossible to perform by hand or spreadsheet.
 |
Photo: South Florida Water Management District |
| Flash flooding of roads by Tropical Storm Ernesto, September 2006 |
But stormwater modeling solutions can help. “They allow users to quickly and easily perform a range of different hydraulic and hydrologic calculations, which help improve their understanding of the stormwater systems they manage. This allows them to make informed decisions on the best ways to spend their capital on system improvements.”
Bentley offers a number of different stormwater modeling solutions, including StormCAD for storm sewer design and modeling, PondPack for detention pond design and analysis, CulvertMaster for design and hydraulic analysis of culverts, and CivilStorm for stormwater modeling and analysis. These programs are designed to help the engineer spend more time on engineering instead of taking the time to gather the numbers needed, whether for system use or to ensure compliance with regulatory agencies. CivilStorm’s Scenario Control Center helps engineers create, run, and analyze many different physical and design parameters and operational scenarios.
“Our systems help engineers make the most out of their existing systems and data. If CAD [computer-aided design] drawings, GIS files, spreadsheets, or external databases are available, users are only a few mouse clicks away from having a functional model of their stormwater network,” Gutierrez explains. “Also, bidirectional synchronized connections can be created to maintain a continuous flow of data between the company’s stormwater modeling solutions and other GIS and CAD systems. If a change is made in an existing information system, the stormwater model can be quickly updated and vice versa.”
When asked how long it takes to learn Bentley’s modeling programs, Gutierrez responds, “Not long. Intuitive standalone interfaces help the novice modeler learn basic and advanced features. Step-by-step tutorials, lessons, rich documentation, and help buttons support the learning process. StormCAD and CivilStorm also offer the choice of working with AutoCAD or MicroStation, so new users can quickly learn their way around using an interface they already feel comfortable with.”
He emphasizes when it comes to NPDES requirements, CivilStorm’s dynamic engine can help usersassess cost-effective alternatives to reduce the number and volume of combined sewer overflows. “CivilStorm can also leverage the included industry-standard EPA SWMM engine for compliance with NPDES water-quality regulations by modeling, then systematically eliminating or reducing the mass of pollutants,” Gutierrez explains. User needs for StormCAD have ranged from Sacramento County’s need to stay under budget to the Nation of Columbia’s need to overcome steep terrain, heavy rains, and even earthquakes to upgrade a storm sewer system.
XP Software in Portland, OR, also offers hydraulic engineering software, including several packages for stormwater and watershed management, including XPSWMM for estimating flows, XPCULVERT for designing and sizing culverts, and XPSTORM for design and analysis of stormwater projects. XPFLOOD helps identify flood hazards and devise solutions.
Real-Time Analysis in Florida
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) understands that knowing how a storm is going to progress makes for better planning. Says Jayantha Obeysekera, director of the Hydrologic and Environmental Systems Modeling Department at the SFWMD, “We have an emergency modeling team that provides a quick technical analysis of large hurricane events and rainfall forecast to aid in real-time operations.”
Advertisement
The team relies on radar to get rainfall reports every 15 minutes and on short-term rainfall forecasts during hurricanes and other storm events. This lets them know, within a very short time, that rainfall has hit the area and the anticipated rainfall in the near future. “We also deal with real-time water-level information along with computer models to make predictions. Currently, our teams are looking in two areas for the development of flood forecasting models. One is the Kissimmee River Basin, which has a large floodplain, a complex network of canals, lakes, and water control structures. MIKE FLOOD WATCH allows us to combine real-time information with reliable models to provide information for decision-makers.”
Another project under consideration is to use MIKE FLOOD WATCH, from DHI, during major storm events to forecast water levels in the low conveyance capacity canals of Big Cypress Basin in southwest Florida, where urban development in traditional wetland flow ways makes many areas vulnerable to frequent flooding. The area was severely flooded in 2006 by Tropical Storm Ernesto and the rain events in the weeks following the storm. “The program will help us better prepare for future storm events. It also provides information for water managers. The software is expected help us communicate the flooding information via the Web so the decision-makers and the stakeholders can receive the information in real time and make critical decisions.”
Author's Bio: Author Joseph Lynn Tilton is a frequent contributor to Forester Media publications.
Buyers Guide 2008
Staying Out of Trouble Made Easier
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a municipality or a federal agency such as the EPA; if you don’t have the numbers they expect, when they expect them, regardless of the operational challenges at hand, then you’ve added a major challenge to an already full plate. It gets even worse if you don’t have a way to study the information as the year progresses so not only do you know you’re on the right track, but you can focus on the day-to-day concerns of your facility. Plus, there are times when knowing more about the physical elements can help you stay within your budget or even save money.
Many developers and site supervisors, as well as municipalities, are turning to software packages specially designed to help manage the stormwater permitting process. Toby Davis, vice president with CBI Systems Ltd. in Beaumont, TX, explains, “Our MS4 Permit Manager software, which took over four years to develop, is in use all over the country in municipal operations, countywide systems, and military bases. The program helps users manage, track, and compile data for every aspect of Phase I and II MS4 [municipal separate storm sewer system] permits. It takes our clients just a few days to be fairly efficient at using the software.” The software helps users keep track of such elements as outfall inventories and maps, schedules, water-quality monitoring data, and budget information. Another CBI Systems program, Construction Permit Manager, helps develop and manage stormwater pollution prevention plans for construction sites and keep track of inspection schedules.
“Generally, a day of training helps get users comfortable with the software. From time to time, though, we hold two-day seminars,” says Davis. He points out that the software allows users to organize and manage the data for the implementation of the program as well as tracking the costs involved.
“All data is in one spot. There’s just one database. It’s automatically generated and helps users manage their programs and quickly generate annual report documents.” Davis emphasizes, “This software has allowed regulated MS4s to streamline and fine-tune their stormwater management programs. It also has helped in the audit process to ensure EPA regulations are more thoroughly answered.” In essence, the MS4 Permit Manager gives users more room to focus on the other challenges on their plate.
Help for a Troubled Campus
On land with a less-than-1% grade, one would think stormwater would not be a problem, especially in Lubbock, TX, where 18 inches of rain in a whole year is typical. “When we get rain it just floods. It overwhelms our system because we have only one curbed inlet in the middle of the campus,” comments Adolfo Varela, stormwater specialist for Texas Tech University. He reports that while annual rainfall is scanty, when it does rain, 1 to 1.5 inches an hour is not uncommon. Neither is the impact of 30,000 students, with 50,000 people on campus during a football game.
“We had 15,000 cars when Bobby Knight broke the record for the most wins in basketball. Plus, Lubbock is in the middle of the largest cotton-growing area in the US.” When it rains the university also can be inundated with runoff from off campus coming on campus.
The 40-year-old stormwater system for the nearly 2,000-acre campus consists of less than 5 miles of pipe, with the main pipe measuring 18 inches in diameter. “We track different activities to consider their impact on the university, especially the parking lot. The parking lots get hot in the summer, which results in potholes, and even a broken pipe now and then. So our task is to keep the system working as efficiently as we can.”
When asked the size of the crew, he responds, “You’re talking to it.” Varela credits CBI Systems’ software for making it possible to increase program efficiency. He reports it was easy to understand, with a two-day seminar getting him under way and helping him find faster solutions to reoccurring problems.
Varela adds that he had special visitors on campus in 2005: the EPA. “They saw that we met all the requirements for NPDES and gave us a good grade. They didn’t find any problems with construction, education, flood control, or grounds maintenance. Part of that reason is the university has a good crew of groundskeepers picking up trash, leaf litter, and so forth. Trash is a problem at Texas Tech because 25- to 35-mile-an-hour winds are common.” He adds, “When people ask a few questions about our stormwater control, I have the answers.”
|
Photo: South Florida Water Management District |
| Submerged water control structure in wake of Tropical Storm Ernesto |
Internet-Based Assistance
Another source of help with the ins and outs of the permitting process is Web-based. During his 15 years as a Los Angles–based attorney, Larry Goldenhersh encountered many cases dealing with large corporations confronting the realities of regulation burdens. He came to realize that the compliance space had immensely complex problems. With that realization, in 1999 he founded Enviance Inc. in Carlsbad, CA.
The company’s products are designed to input lab results directly into the system, automatically track and respond to permit limit exceedances, and provide information for review and reporting anytime and anywhere needed. The Internet-based system helps users with, among other options, stormwater pollution prevention plans.
Overcoming Obstacles
Incorporating watershed features into a geographical information system (GIS) and conducting GIS modeling has become essential to many stormwater managers. eMap International provides software to help map impervious surfaces and other features. Speaking from his office in Longmont, CO, Jeff Liedtke, chief operations officer, comments, “For those with GIS, it’s an easy transition for helping in strategic corporation or municipal planning.”
He notes that GIS helps users decide which problems in their system should be addressed first. After emergencies are solved, the software aids in long-range planning. These two components help reduce immediate and long-range costs.
Speaking from 20 years dealing with stormwater concerns, Liedtke offers some reasons clients are using eMap International mapping systems. “For example, in Florida where a lot of land is close to sea level, it requires a lot of planning without compromising existing environmental features,” he says. Some soils in the southwest US, he notes, have hard deposits that make digging and trenching difficult. Some areas such as the Southeast have greater areas of tree canopy.
He comments that using maps for hydrologic modeling helps contractors bid correctly on a project. This helps both contractors and municipalities win. There will be fewer cost overruns and a better estimate of completion dates. “eMap also helps cities in establishing stormwater utility fees, because they can accurately compute the cost of the project so that fees pay for the project in a timely manner,” Liedtke says. Typically, fees are based on the amount of impervious surface within the scope of the project. Accurate fee rates—along with the numbers gained by proper mapping—show residents and business owners that the numbers on their utility bills are fair.
Other services offered by the firm include project management, specification development, quality assurance and quality control programs, business plan development, and strategic plan formulation.
Let Your Pipes Speak
When it comes to pipeline inspection, some powerful and affordable technologies have emerged to better control problems caused by pipeline failures. Says Joe Purtell, CUES Software Division director, “Under the EPA’s BMP [best management practice] framework, stormwater NPDES regulatory compliance can be met by using a watershed-based strategy for controlling both point- and nonpoint-source pollution.”
He emphases that the key linchpin depends on creating foundational data architecture to properly support the NPDES program. Stormwater operators must first inventory their assets and conduct condition assessments of as much of the systems as possible. “With the surge in adoption of municipal asset management practices, system owners establish life cycle costs for every asset they own, which can dictate whether rehabilitation or replacement is the best fiscal decision. It can be as simple as replacing a pipe that has reached its end of life instead of repeat patches.”
This is easier if the operation has the correct tools. CUES, a leading provider of pipeline inspection equipment, has a software package, Granite XP, which is used in the field and in the office. “This software package is a comprehensive pipeline condition and decision support software solution,” Purtell explains.
With the program, system owners and managers can load tens of thousands of assets to give inspectors precise data at their fingertips. The system is regularly synchronized and updated from the field. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) videos, inclination surveys, manhole inspections, lateral inspections, global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, and other asset inspection data are collected by the software. Purtell continues, “During a visual inspection using a CCTV camera, trained inspectors code the nature and severity of defects seen in the pipe to allow it to be scored and prioritized for rehabilitation or replacement.”
The program fills in the information gaps by allowing field crews to create detailed asset information based on actual findings. GPS coordinates help in creating precise maps of the stormwater mains and laterals. He explains that where no GIS exists, Granite XP can create one from scratch, based on data collected in the field with the company’s Wireless GPS Mapping Stick. This handheld device captures submeter GPS coordinates and transmits them wirelessly into Granite XP from up to 2,000 feet away, which is particularly useful for stormwater control in rural areas. This makes possible easy adaptation of a watershed-based approach to stormwater management such as flood evaluation, monitoring downstream pollutant loadings, and analyzing consequences of failure scenarios.
Granite XP’s Universal Scoring module allows decision-makers to apply customized formulas to better rank and prioritize pipe repair and replacement. Developing a predictive model allows the system owner to become more efficient and proactive by knowing the type of rehab work to be performed. It also allows the system owner to assess the relative economic costs and benefits to make well-informed decisions.
Aries Industries Inc. in Waukesha, WI, also supplies standard and custom-built television inspection equipment for internal inspection of pipelines, including the Micro Television Camera, a compact, waterproof, self-contained camera that can withstand the conditions in storm and sanitary sewer pipelines. Larger pan-and-tilt cameras are able to monitor environmental conditions and warn the operator if temperature, humidity, or pressure exceed the camera’s operating parameters.
Another leading hardware supplier dealing with groundwater and surface water monitoring equipment is Solinst Canada Ltd. of Georgetown, Ontario. The firm has been manufacturing groundwater instrumentation since 1980 when Doug Belshaw recognized the need for easy-to-use monitoring equipment. Although Belshaw started with a single product for US hydrologists, today the company offers a host of products worldwide for hydrogeologists and hydrologists to help determine site characteristics, aid in spill investigations, and perform long-term water monitoring.
Saving Money and Avoiding Surprises
Another advantage to checking pipe conditions is to do so before engaging in any changes to the surface. Bellingham, WA, is a good example of how checking pipe condition before bidding out a major road improvement project saved the city—and the contractor—money and surprises. Engineering Manager Ravyn Whitewolf for this city of 75,000 says, “By checking the condition of water and sewer mains, especially the older portions where pipes have no historical data, we knew which spots in this 5-mile pavement overlay improvement project required excavation and pipe replacement. This helped contractors bidding on the job, which included both pipe replacement and street overlay, more accurately know what was expected in the contract.”
Whitewolf explains this strategy eliminated cost overrides and helped ensure the project would be finished on schedule. The correlation between stormwater pipe condition assessment and the scheduled pavement overlay saved Bellingham a lot of money. “This has saved a lot of ripping up of new pavement because pipes in poor condition were replaced before the overlay.”
The city uses a CCTV inspection vehicle from CUES to pinpoint storm pipe replacement needs. This project marked the first time the city had been able to centralize information, which helped save time in writing up project specifications before asking for bids.
Modeling Solutions Have Answers Even for Earthquakes
Another provider of software for analyzing flows is Bentley Systems of Watertown, CT. “Analyzing flows in stormwater systems is a complex task,” says Bentley’s Andres Gutierrez. He emphasizes that the calculations involved are often tedious, time consuming, and sometimes even impossible to perform by hand or spreadsheet.
|
Photo: South Florida Water Management District |
| Flash flooding of roads by Tropical Storm Ernesto, September 2006 |
But stormwater modeling solutions can help. “They allow users to quickly and easily perform a range of different hydraulic and hydrologic calculations, which help improve their understanding of the stormwater systems they manage. This allows them to make informed decisions on the best ways to spend their capital on system improvements.”
Bentley offers a number of different stormwater modeling solutions, including StormCAD for storm sewer design and modeling, PondPack for detention pond design and analysis, CulvertMaster for design and hydraulic analysis of culverts, and CivilStorm for stormwater modeling and analysis. These programs are designed to help the engineer spend more time on engineering instead of taking the time to gather the numbers needed, whether for system use or to ensure compliance with regulatory agencies. CivilStorm’s Scenario Control Center helps engineers create, run, and analyze many different physical and design parameters and operational scenarios.
“Our systems help engineers make the most out of their existing systems and data. If CAD [computer-aided design] drawings, GIS files, spreadsheets, or external databases are available, users are only a few mouse clicks away from having a functional model of their stormwater network,” Gutierrez explains. “Also, bidirectional synchronized connections can be created to maintain a continuous flow of data between the company’s stormwater modeling solutions and other GIS and CAD systems. If a change is made in an existing information system, the stormwater model can be quickly updated and vice versa.”
When asked how long it takes to learn Bentley’s modeling programs, Gutierrez responds, “Not long. Intuitive standalone interfaces help the novice modeler learn basic and advanced features. Step-by-step tutorials, lessons, rich documentation, and help buttons support the learning process. StormCAD and CivilStorm also offer the choice of working with AutoCAD or MicroStation, so new users can quickly learn their way around using an interface they already feel comfortable with.”
He emphasizes when it comes to NPDES requirements, CivilStorm’s dynamic engine can help usersassess cost-effective alternatives to reduce the number and volume of combined sewer overflows. “CivilStorm can also leverage the included industry-standard EPA SWMM engine for compliance with NPDES water-quality regulations by modeling, then systematically eliminating or reducing the mass of pollutants,” Gutierrez explains. User needs for StormCAD have ranged from Sacramento County’s need to stay under budget to the Nation of Columbia’s need to overcome steep terrain, heavy rains, and even earthquakes to upgrade a storm sewer system.
XP Software in Portland, OR, also offers hydraulic engineering software, including several packages for stormwater and watershed management, including XPSWMM for estimating flows, XPCULVERT for designing and sizing culverts, and XPSTORM for design and analysis of stormwater projects. XPFLOOD helps identify flood hazards and devise solutions.
Real-Time Analysis in Florida
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) understands that knowing how a storm is going to progress makes for better planning. Says Jayantha Obeysekera, director of the Hydrologic and Environmental Systems Modeling Department at the SFWMD, “We have an emergency modeling team that provides a quick technical analysis of large hurricane events and rainfall forecast to aid in real-time operations.”
The team relies on radar to get rainfall reports every 15 minutes and on short-term rainfall forecasts during hurricanes and other storm events. This lets them know, within a very short time, that rainfall has hit the area and the anticipated rainfall in the near future. “We also deal with real-time water-level information along with computer models to make predictions. Currently, our teams are looking in two areas for the development of flood forecasting models. One is the Kissimmee River Basin, which has a large floodplain, a complex network of canals, lakes, and water control structures. MIKE FLOOD WATCH allows us to combine real-time information with reliable models to provide information for decision-makers.”
Another project under consideration is to use MIKE FLOOD WATCH, from DHI, during major storm events to forecast water levels in the low conveyance capacity canals of Big Cypress Basin in southwest Florida, where urban development in traditional wetland flow ways makes many areas vulnerable to frequent flooding. The area was severely flooded in 2006 by Tropical Storm Ernesto and the rain events in the weeks following the storm. “The program will help us better prepare for future storm events. It also provides information for water managers. The software is expected help us communicate the flooding information via the Web so the decision-makers and the stakeholders can receive the information in real time and make critical decisions.”