Cities were designed to treat rainwater as a problemÑto move it away from people and property as quickly as possible. These design choices have damaged our water supplies. Because of massive trends towards urbanization globally, stormwater (i.e., untreated rainwater) is now the fastest growing and one of the largest sources of water pollution in the world. It pollutes our waterways with pesticides, bacteria, heavy metals, and other forms of harmful pollution. This can taint our drinking water, poison the fish that we eat, and destroy natural habitat that drives economic growth in real estate values, recreation opportunities, and commercial fishing. Further, more frequent and heavier storms from Climate Change cause property damage and further increase pollution. In the U.S., more than 80% of the population is negatively affected by stormwater Ð and state and local governments are required to fund efforts to reduce those effects. Historically, the main approach to managing stormwater has been to build more centralized infrastructure. These projects are costly, take years to develop, and are quickly made obsolete. We need a paradigm shift toward distributed, intelligent and cost-effective solutions for the millions of obsolete projects built over the last 30 years Ð mainly by retrofitting existing stormwater infrastructure to make it smarter and more responsive to a changing climate. Existing stormwater ponds operate with passive outflows; therefore, during the majority of storm events, there is consistent outflow from the pond when it rains. This initial outflow contains high amounts of sediment and associated nutrient pollutants resulting from the build-up of pollutants on impervious surfaces. In addition, these ponds provide little to no infiltration of runoff and discharge higher flow rates. Higher flow rates increase the energy going into streams and rivers, which causes streambank erosion, habitat degradation, and poor water quality. To solve these problems, The Nature Conservancy and digital water pioneer Opti created Brightstorm, which delivers community-scale climate resiliency by making existing water infrastructure smarter. OptiÕs technology utilizes patented software to integrate on-site sensors, actively controlled outflow valves and weather forecasting to greatly increase the average residence time of water within a stormwater pond to reduce the outflow of pollutants, and to restore flow durations that protect streams and rivers. We have also partnered with Parjana, which has developed a technology that increases the hydraulic conductivity and infiltrative capacity of soils, allowing for greater infiltration/recharge within a facility. The combination of enhanced residence time, with greater infiltration, allows for an actively controlled recharge basin that reduces stormwater pollution, recharges groundwater supplies, and mimics natural hydrology to protects downstream resources. Who is TNC and TNCÕs Principles of Corporate Engagement Who is TNC? The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at unprecedented scale, and helping make cities more sustainable with ambitious 2030 goals. Working in more than 72 countries, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org. For more information on TNCÕs 2030 Goals, go here: https://tnc.box.com/s/bcuyuinrtbdbesovxy5fr51h22amr3tc TNCÕs Principles of Corporate Engagement All of TNCÕs corporate engagements must have conservation benefits with lasting, measurable outcomes, and a direct connection to our mission. Please review our Principles of Corporate Engagement, which all engagements must meet: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/how-we-work/working-with-companies/corporate-principles/