Downer drives solution to reduce risk of flooding

03/04/2018

A collaboration between Downer, Fujitsu, and EYEfi has delivered a successful trial of a “smart drains” solution in Victoria that aims to reduce the risk of flooding from overflows of stormwater drains.

The solution uses a network of sensors to monitor drains in real time, negating the need to have manual drain inspections and enabling deployment of operational teams before a blocked drain causes flooding.
 
The smart drains solution incorporates networked smart sensors, cloud technology and software developed by EYEfi to provide alerts for rising water every 15 minutes.
 
The Yarra Ranges Council faces a number of flood management challenges with over 4,900 properties at risk of flooding. Adding to these challenges are pressures on the existing drainage system associated with urban consolidation and an increase in rainfall intensity.
 
Yarra Ranges Mayor, Len Cox, says this is the first time this technology had been used in stormwater pits in Australia.

“Many of our stormwater pits, especially those in flood prone areas could be checked daily or several times per day. This technology informs us quickly that there is a blockage so we can send someone there immediately and have it removed and cleaned before further flooding and complications arise. We are proud to be trialling this in the Yarra Ranges as an Australian first and, if the results are positive, we hope it can be adopted throughout the municipality,” said Mr Cox.
 
Jeff Sharp, Group Manager Technology and Innovation at Downer, said: “We had a concept that we believed would add value to our customers and provide a better service to their customers.  We were excited to partner with EyeFi, Fujitsu and the Yarra Ranges Council to make this a reality.  Downer is investing heavily in IoT solutions that we believe will drive better value for our customers and improve services, creating smarter cities.”