SYDNEY, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Researchers in Australia have developed a smart stormwater treatment system that can automatically adapt to changing weather conditions, significantly improving its ability to remove harmful pollutants before they reach the environment.
Engineers at Australia's University of New South Wales (UNSW) have added sensors and real-time weather forecasts into so-called rain gardens to create a smarter way to stop contaminants from flowing into waterways, according to a UNSW statement released on Thursday.
The work, published in Water Research, aims to reduce the ecological impacts of polluted stormwater reaching streams, rivers and coastal waters, including algal blooms, oxygen depletion and toxic materials entering the food chain, the statement said.
Rather than allowing water to simply flow through the biofilter, the UNSW system continuously monitors conditions inside the filter using sensors that measure factors such as soil moisture and redox potential, which affect how effectively microbes break down pollutants, it said.
It also analyzes rainfall forecasts from Australia's Bureau of Meteorology. Before heavy rain, automated valves gradually release stored water to create space for incoming runoff, while under ideal conditions the system can retain water longer to maximize treatment, researchers said.
The system has so far been tested under laboratory conditions, with future work focusing on long-term operation using real stormwater and its integration into existing infrastructure, researchers said. ■