EDD President and Principal Engineer, Franco Montalto, P.E., Ph.D., is leading a class focused on the future of stormwater management offered at Drexel University.
“Conventional approaches to stormwater management can leave communities vulnerable to flooding, especially when codes and policy are based on historical precipitation patterns, and not the ‘new normal’ associated with climate change. Precipitation patterns are changing in different ways in different places, meaning that “one size” (of drainage infrastructure) certainly does not fit all. If we under-design the drainage infrastructure, we can exacerbate flooding and associated damages. If we over-design, we can run up infrastructure and development costs. As we design stormwater infrastructure for the future, today’s engineers need to consider performance under a range of plausible precipitation futures, while continuing to address traditional concerns regarding the level of service, cost, maintenance, and reliability…”