The Project
The Acre residential neighborhood comprises 14 multi-storey residential buildings located in the coastal city of Acre (Akko), Northern Israel. The buildings feature flat concrete rooftops connected to the municipal drainage network. The original infrastructure plan called for underground storage tanks and pump systems to manage stormwater runoff — a costly and space-intensive approach that SmartFlow was brought in to replace.
The Challenge
The municipality and developer needed a stormwater management solution that could handle peak runoff across 14 buildings simultaneously, without the civil engineering burden of underground tanks and pump infrastructure. Beyond flood protection, there was a need for real-time visibility into system performance and a platform that could support ongoing, data-driven operation — not just a passive retention solution.
The Solution
SmartFlow deployed rooftop stormwater management units across all 14 buildings, each comprising water depth sensors, a motorised release valve, and a control module connected to the SmartFlow cloud platform. The system manages rainwater runoff intelligently — monitoring real-time accumulation and controlling discharge according to adaptive schedules informed by weather forecasts and downstream capacity. Each rooftop unit also functions as a local meteorological station, contributing continuous environmental data. The result is a smart environmental management system for rooftops: especially well-suited to blue-green roof configurations, and capable of supporting efficient, data-driven operation of the roof and the overall stormwater network.
Implementation
Each unit was installed in a single day without structural modification to the roof. Sensors were positioned at key drainage points and the motorised valve integrated into existing downpipes. All control modules connect via cellular network to the SmartFlow platform, enabling centralised remote monitoring, configuration, and firmware updates across the entire neighborhood from a single dashboard.
Results
- Underground storage tanks and pump systems fully eliminated across all 14 buildings
- Peak runoff reduced significantly during monitored storm events
- Controlled release timing coordinated across buildings to reduce simultaneous drainage load
- Each rooftop unit provides real-time meteorological and hydrological data
- Continuous data collection supports ongoing, evidence-based system optimisation
- Zero structural issues or maintenance incidents during the monitoring period