Smart Stormwater Management at the Ford Motor Company's Research Campus

Introduction: Evolving stormwater regulations, increasing urban development, and the accelerating impacts of climate change have led to a pressing need for innovative stormwater management solutions. The Ford Motor Company, addressing these challenges, incorporated a state-of-the-art 'smart' stormwater management system as part of its 10-year transformation of the Research & Engineering Center (REC) in Dearborn, Michigan. This project integrates advanced technologies, community partnerships, and sustainable design principles to improve stormwater management efficiency and environmental outcomes. This paper details the challenges, solutions, and results associated with implementing the smart stormwater management system within this complex redevelopment project. Project Overview: The redevelopment of Ford's 320-acre campus aimed to create a centralized and sustainable environment for its employees. A cornerstone of the redevelopment is the innovative stormwater management system designed to address regional issues of stormwater capacity and quality while protecting critical facilities from flooding during storm events. This system provides over 2 million cubic feet of storage through a network of interconnected components, including detention ponds, storage chambers, combined sewers repurposed for storm sewer conveyance and storage, and green infrastructure features including bioswales. The pipes include over a half mile of storage via repurposed City of Dearborn combined sewers, which historically served the Ford campus and the community. Through the system, stormwater is detained and conveyed to a pump station that diverts flow to a wet detention pond, called P-1 (Figure 1), for treatment and storage. These features, combined with the integration of a type of stormwater real-time control called continuous monitoring and adaptive control (CMAC), optimize stormwater storage and reduce downstream impacts. Stormwater Management Design and Analysis and Sewer Separation: Designing a stormwater management system that seamlessly ties into Dearborn's combined sewer system and increases overall capacity in compliance with the City of Dearborn, the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), and State Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) requirements was complex. The City has refined their storage requirements and discharge rates over the years due to increased development and flooding issues. However, the size of Ford's campus made meeting those requirements a major hurdle because development standards are established for sites typically 5 acres or less. Collaborating with the City, Wade Trim completed a historical drainage study and hydraulic modeling to demonstrate area runoff rates before Ford's campus was built. The study revealed that post-development discharge rates, required to meet historical rates, would total 0.55 cfs/acre, significantly improving the current runoff rate of 3 cfs/acre runoff from the campus for a 100-year storm event prior to the Ford DCT kickoff. In addition, connection points to the City's system were analyzed using the Dearborn-wide combined sewer network model to show there was a decrease in upstream tailwater conditions, further minimizing upstream flooding risks. Separating and repurposing combined sewer as stormwater storage posed design and construction challenges due to the high number of sewer connections and lack of historical documentation of existing utilities. Utility location methods included ground penetrating radar, survey, all materials locators, and hydro excavation. When existing utilities were unearthed or new utilities installed, radio-frequency identification markers were buried and documented in a 3D model tied to a GIS system. Video inspection and smoke-and-dye testing were used to identify and confirm sewer laterals and leads. Laterals with existing sanitary flows were diverted to new, dedicated sanitary mains. In lower elevation areas, sanitary lift stations were installed to handle buildings' existing sewer outlets. In addition, a permanent flume was installed under Military Road to convey the sanitary and existing offsite combined flows through the large storm sewer being used for storage and conveyance. Linear stormwater trenches along new roadways using haydite, a porous aggregate material, were also incorporated to help treat stormwater filtering to perforated storm sewer. CMAC System Implementation: Ford's CMAC system, operational since December 2023, represents Michigan's first private-sector deployment of adaptive stormwater management technology. The system utilizes real-time water level data, weather forecasts, and an automated valve to dynamically manage water levels in the P-1 Pond. By preemptively drawing down to create storage capacity ahead of storm events, the CMAC system minimizes discharge and maximizes retention, reducing strain on downstream combined sewer systems and enhancing flood resilience (Thomasson & Marchese, 2022). Performance Analysis and Results: The performance of the P-1 Pond system was analyzed over a one-year period, from December 1, 2023, to December 1, 2024 (Table 1). Key metrics include retention efficiency, peak discharge reduction, and system reliability. Observed results were compared with a modeled passive system to highlight the benefits of the adaptive control approach. Retention Efficiency: The CMAC system retained 111 acre-feet of inflow (82%), compared to 57 acre-feet (42%) for the passive model, effectively doubling retention capacity. —Peak Discharge Reduction: CMAC significantly reduced peak discharges across varying storm sizes. For example, during a 1.5-inch storm event on April 11, 2024, the system demonstrated dynamic modulation, as shown in the operational dashboard (Figure 2). The system created pre-event storage capacity, managed inflow during the storm, and retained remaining water below the passive weir threshold. —Operational Reliability: The system achieved 99% connectivity and operated in automatic mode 95.4% of the time, ensuring consistent performance and minimal manual intervention. Conclusions: The project's success underscores the transformative potential of integrating smart technologies into stormwater management. By leveraging innovative design and adaptive controls, Ford's P-1 Pond system not only enhances campus resilience but also benefits the surrounding community. The repurposing of City of Dearborn combined sewers exemplifies effective public-private collaboration, advancing municipal goals while protecting local water resources. By sharing these results, this project provides a scalable model for other organizations to optimize stormwater management, enhance environmental stewardship, and foster community resilience.