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    Adam Cross

    • +1
    Jul 6 2012: There are two major issues in a city. Water and Water. Clean water must be brought in at a constant high volume rate for use in plumbing, cleaning, and drinking. On the other side of the coin is drainage. These two aspects of civil engineering will make or break a city.

    If you harness the kinetic power of water flowing into and out of a city would the amount of energy harnessed be worth the initial investment?
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      Nick Allen 100+

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      TED Attendee
      Jul 6 2012: Adam, thanks. Completely agree.

      Having lived in 2 close but very different Asian cities (Bangkok and Singapore) I can recognise the challenge -even before the recent terrible experience in Bangkok.

      Singapore has a drainage system that is usually able to manage dispersion of significant amounts of water, whereas Bangkok is more succeptible to flash floods. Hwoever, even with the civil engineering capability of Singapore, flash floods are a challenge - as experienced in 2010, 2011, 2012.

      A key question for many cities looking forward is...when the stress test their drainage systems for increased volatility of rainfall, can they cope?

      I like the systems thinking of harnessing the kinetic energy potential of the flows of water - potentially turning the challenge into a strength. Do you have any practical examples?
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        Adam Cross

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        Jul 6 2012: First, install turbines at every drainage choke point. These would be used for power during monsoon season and heavy rainfall. Second, build a "flood system". This would be a centralized and elevated reservoir to be used as a cipher point. During flooding conditions turbines power pumps to begin a static flow of water out of the city. Once the process is begun it does the work itself. NY uses this same system to bring water IN to the city, I suggest using it to pump water out.

        As for stress put on to the system I know that this system is capable.

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