Cities Get Smarter About Stormwater

Digital tools and green design reshape how US cities fight floods and pollution

24 Oct 2025

Across America, a quiet revolution is reshaping how cities deal with rain. Engineers, tech firms, and public utilities are joining forces to control not just the flow of stormwater but also the data behind it. The aim is simple: to make urban landscapes cleaner, cheaper, and more resilient in an age of rising floods.

A partnership between Opti, a stormwater-tech specialist, and Oldcastle, a construction giant, is at the forefront. Their systems use sensors and predictive software to manage rainfall in real time, adjusting valves and storage basins automatically. The approach turns passive infrastructure into active assets. At WEFTEC 2025, the two firms showcased how such digital controls could help cities prevent floods before they begin.

Federal policy is catching up. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Infrastructure Strategic Agenda 2035 calls for a nationwide expansion of projects that use vegetation, soil, and porous surfaces to capture runoff naturally. Analysts expect billions in new funding for companies able to pair ecological design with digital precision.

Evidence of effectiveness is mounting. Researchers at Ohio State University and elsewhere find that small-scale rain gardens and biochar filters can strip pollutants from runoff while easing pressure on ageing sewer systems. Such results give policymakers confidence that "green" infrastructure can deliver both fiscal and environmental returns.

Challenges remain. Construction costs are high, design standards vary by state, and many utilities still depend on outdated rules built for a drier past. Yet momentum is clear. Climate resilience has become a national concern, and technology is moving faster than regulation.

As 2025 draws to a close, stormwater management looks less like a niche experiment and more like a new industry model. By combining algorithms with earth and plants, America may yet learn to live with its rain.