Could This Company's Permeable Hardscape Tech Be A Possible Solution to Pollution and Flooding in Cities Across the Globe?

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The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

Environmental events have been all over the news this year.

Among the major environmental events that have struck, flash floods and heavy rains often top the list.

The U.K. witnessed the heaviest of rains in decades. Storm Christopher brought heavy rains and widespread flooding across the nation for three consecutive days.

Floods slammed the nations of Belgium and the western part of Germany in July. Considered the worst floods to hit the two countries, the floods have killed more than 180 in Germany and caused catastrophic damage to the electric grid system, phone networks, and infrastructure. In Belgium, 27 people died, according to the country’s national crisis center. Germany requires over $7 billion to rebuild the damage caused by the floods.

Heavy precipitation triggered devastating floods and landslides in British Columbia, Canada, and torrential rains in the state of Washington left nearly 158 thousand people without power.

Pollution also remains another area of major concern globally. It is estimated that U.S. cities alone pour in 10 trillion gallons of untreated stormwater, sewage and wastewater into clean water bodies every year.

As these events continue to cause damage, AquiPor Technologies is one example of a company that says it is developing a possible help to these problems — an advanced permeable surface technology and engineering solution that could help mitigate stormwater runoff pollution and urban flooding in cities.

AquiPor’s Technology

Most of the land in cities is covered by surfaces that are impermeable for water, which can increase the likelihood of flooding each time it rains. In places that are experiencing drought, it is often necessary to get stormwater back into the ground to replenish aquifers.

AquiPor reports that it is developing a permeable hard surface material (resembling a brick) that allows large volumes of water to penetrate it at higher rates than traditional landmasses. The company is developing the material to be capable of handling up to 25 inches of water every hour and directing it into the ground.

Having AquiPor’s porous pavement instead of the traditional pavements could help recharge groundwater in cities that alternate between drought and heavy rain. Often, rainwater in these cities flows through the drainage system and ends up in the ocean without sinking into the ground.

The material can also reportedly act as a stormwater filter. The spaces within it are around 1 to 5 microns, which allows filtration of debris and dirt out of polluted stormwater. As the water passes through the tiny spaces, other pollutants that attach to solid materials such as dissolved metals remain on the surface rather than penetrating into the ground. Potential clogs can be prevented by routine vacuum cleaning or street sweeping to remove surface debris.

Beneath AquiPor’s permeable surface material lies permeable detention tanks. These vessels receive water from the surface and allow it to slowly sink into the ground, taking filtered stormwater back to underground water reserves.

President Joe Biden recently signed the over $1 trillion infrastructure bill that is planned to give major infrastructure in the U.S. a facelift. The legislation is slated to put $55 billion into the water-supply system and replacement of lead pipes and about $50 billion for climate resilience projects.

AquiPor hopes that its technology solution, once available on the market, puts it in a similar league with leading companies that are focused on mitigating pollution and stormwater flooding such as Forterra Inc. FRTA, Hydro International HYD, and Abtech Holdings Inc. ABHD.

The company is also currently seeking investors who can help it propagate its vision. You can learn more about its crowdfunding investment campaign here: https://www.startengine.com/aquipor

Want to hear more directly from the source? Check out the Benzinga interview below with AquiPor CEO, Greg Johnson.

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The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.