After a successful pilot demonstration, the City of South Bend, IN decided to implement the CSOnet system across the entire city.  South Bend is a medium sized city of 107,000 people located in north-central Indiana.  Its CSS covers 13,100 acres and has 36 set CSO outfall points.  The City decided to use CSOnet to fulfill the following objectives:

• Monitor every CSO outfall to determine when and how much overflow occurs.
• Provide an early warning and prevention system for dry weather CSO events.
• Determine the potential areas for inline storage in larger pipes.
• Collect data to further calibrate South Bend SWMM model.
• Determine the locations of possible bottlenecks in the interceptor and trunk lines.
• Determine the effective storage capacity of retention ponds.
• Prevent basement back-ups.
• Maximize flows to the WWTP.
• Maximize storage in in-line and off-line storage areas.

The CSOnet system is implemented in two primary phases.  Phase 1, which was deployed in the spring of 2008, is a real time monitoring system that monitors 110 locations throughout the CSS.  This system is able to accomplish the first six objectives through the monitoring of all 36 outfalls, 42 locations throughout the major trunk lines, 27 locations along the interceptor, and 5 retention basins. 

CSOnet monitored the collection system for one year, during which the data was analyzed to determine a real time control strategy.  Phase 2 is currently under construction, in which CSOnet is being used to implement real time control at key points in the CSS.  Not only will CSOnet be used to maximize the storage potential of in-line and off-line storage areas, but it will also be used to increase flows to the WWTP during storm events.  A number of simulations have been run in which the throttle lines at each of the outfalls is enlarged and fitted with an actuated valve.  With this system, the Gateways are able to determine how much capacity exists throughout the interceptor and at the WWTP and then control how much flow enters the interceptor at each outfall to ensure that the WWTP runs at its maximum capacity throughout the entire storm.  Once the expansion of South Bend’s WWTP is complete, it is estimated that the CSOnet system will be able to reduce the amount of overflow during a storm event by up to 24.1%, compared to the existing system, by simply controlling flows into the interceptor.  When the additional storage is included, this percentage could double or triple.

Mayor Stephen Luecke of South Bend stated during the 2008 State of the City address, that the CSOnet system has the potential to save the City between $110 and $150 million dollars in new construction.  The promise of these savings, as well as the flexibility, ease of installation, and robustness of CSOnet, is making real time monitoring and control a feasible and enticing option for CSO communities.  CSOnet provides the tools, data, and means for any municipality, no matter its size, to engage and solve its CSO problem head on.