Smart Rain Barrels: Advanced LID Management Through Measurement and Control

Abstract

Rain barrels are micro-scale applications which are used as temporary storage and for rainwater harvesting. They can be easily implemented into existing stormwater infrastructure. Recent advances in the field of Internet of Things (IoT) have opened up new possibilities for real-time monitoring and control of such structures, that enable the reduction of urban flooding or combined sewer overflows. The special feature of our smart rain barrel is its integration into a pilot project for smart cities, where every water inflow and outflow of the university campus in Innsbruck (Austria) is measured. Weather forecasts and time-controlled filling levels of different Low Impact Developments (LID) structures and the connected sewer system are used for real-time control (RTC). In a first step, the smart rain barrels are implemented into a SWMM-model with the objective of reducing the peak runoff rate by using the filling level in the main conduit as the control variable for real-time control. Results show that depending on the installation site and the storage volume of the rain barrel, a flood volume reduction of 18–40% can be achieved although only a simplified automatic control system has been implemented.