The next time you park your car in Houston, you might be just a few feet above a system of chambers holding hundreds of thousands of cubic feet of stormwater. Underground stormwater detention systems are becoming an increasingly attractive option in densely developed urban areas where large above-ground detention basins aren’t feasible.

In most municipalities, long before someone fills their coffee maker, water glass, or tub, a team of engineers has spent considerable time figuring out the best possible way to get them the water they’ll need safely, reliably, and cost-effectively. From the water towers visible in most communities to complex pump and tank systems, municipal water systems require an extensive period of research, planning, and problem-solving before they can be built and implemented. Engineering teams, for example, have to make sure that the system will have enough capacity to meet current, and future, demand.