How our smart storm water system is helping Chongqing, in China, to become a "sponge city"

For these reasons, a normal underground pipe network cannot guarantee the city's protection from storm water. The challenge lies in making full use of the distinctive natural features, moving away from a traditional drainage-focused rainwater treatment method, and creating a soft system for urban drainage. This is a major hurdle that Chongqing must overcome to build a sponge city.

AQUADVANCED® urban drainage system provides local authorities with a global, real-time view of the entire sanitation network based on data collected using sensors installed on the network and in the receiving environment, and short-term weather forecasts. It is used to monitor, analyze and forecast the operating status of the rainwater drainage system, urban flood risks, influences on natural ecology and the rainwater reuse system. It will also calculate and report on how a sponge city performs against key performance indicators.

The first phase of the project of Yuelai Sponge City Monitoring and Information Platform was completed and put on trial in January 2018. The 18.67 square km area includes Yuelai Exhibition & Convention City, Yuelai Ecological City and Yuelai Smart City. In the future, it will extend to other parts of Liangjiang New Area.

This project is of key significance to the successful construction of Chongqing sponge city and will be the first of China’s 30 sponge cities to have a smart storm water control system.