The Future Of Stormwater Goes Underground

Stormwater management solutions that are effective, space-conscious, and sustainable are increasingly important for cities. One increasingly popular solution is deep infiltration, a practice that moves stormwater into native soils far below the surface, to avoid harmful runoff and recharge groundwater.

In this episode, Gregor Patsch of Oldcastle Infrastructure explains how vertical drywells work, why they’re different from injection wells, and how they’re gaining traction with both local governments and developers. He shares that these systems can reach up to 100 feet underground and include built-in pretreatment chambers to keep pollutants out of groundwater.

Gregor highlights their usefulness in areas with impermeable surface layers, like clay, or dense urban environments with limited footprint for infrastructure.

The conversation includes a case study from Los Angeles, where hundreds of drywells are being used to transform the San Fernando Valley into a sponge, helping reduce flooding and increase local water supply.

He also discusses the broader implications of deep infiltration for water resilience and how it fits into a shift toward managing stormwater, groundwater, and drinking water as one interconnected system.

This episode is sponsored by Oldcastle Infrastructure, a CRH Company and the leading provider of building materials, products and services for infrastructure projects to several North American market sectors, including Water, Communications, and Energy.

waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.