SewerTycoon:
Interactive Stormwater Planning
Vibe with different stormwater designs and see how they perform, backed by research-grade simulation tools.
What
1. Explore the Landscape Follow the rain. Check out soil types, infiltration rates, elevation, and more —get a feel for how water moves across the region.
2. Design Your Plan Brush green infrastructure across the map like you're painting. Bioswales here, rain barrels there—mix and match solutions with a few clicks. No engineering calculations, just intuitive design.
3. Make it Rain Hit go and see what happens. How much flooding did you prevent? Did you reduce overflows? What's the price tag? Iterate, tweak, improve, compare.
You don't need an engineering degree, just ideas. SewerTycoon gives you the tools and a sandbox to play in.
SewerTycoon was built at the University of Michigan's Digital Water Lab in partnership with Friends of the Rouge and Sierra Club Michigan. The tool is powered by research-grade, calibrated stormwater models—the same ones professionals use—but with an interface anyone can use. Just paint green infrastructure on the map and see what happens.
Test strategies and see their real impact, overflows, water quality, and costs. Whether you're a student, engineer, city planner, or just curious about your local water system, SewerTycoon gives you a sandbox to experiment and learn. It's especially powerful for cities like Detroit, where aging infrastructure meets modern green solutions.
How It Works
SewerTycoon is powered by EPA SWMM, the industry-standard hydraulic model. When you paint green infrastructure on the map, you're modifying a calibrated stormwater network. The tool converts your designs into engineering parameters, runs physics-based simulations, and shows you the results: flooding impacts, overflow reductions, and costs.
It's the same simulation engine professionals use—just way more accessible.
Read the research: SewerTycoon: Interactive Stormwater Infrastructure Planning Through Spatially-Aware Simulation
Do you have a question or comment not in our FAQs? Submit a question using the contact form below.
Frequently Asked Questions
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First, use the link above to create an account!
Then, create a development plan (dropdown is at the top of the after you log in)
Next, try adding some green infrastructure by either clicking on the map, or by using the brush tool (top left on the map).
In the Add Panel in the bottom left corner, drag the sliders around and hit add to plan.
Then, all you do is hit run! The simulation will take about 45 minutes, and you'll receive an email when it's done.
On the right side of the site, there will be updated global metrics so you can see how your plan did!
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After you hit run, the site will load for a moment and you should see a progress bar near the top of the page. The results will be available when the model finishes. In the meantime, feel free to create a new plan and try something different!
If the progress bar has finished but results still aren’t visible, try refreshing the page.
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A scenario takes about 45 minutes to run. You’ll receive an email when it’s finished.
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The numbers for the estimated cost come from published studies. We used the lower bound estimates for each development type and adjusted for inflation. This is only intended to be a rough estimate. Please consult with local cost estimates for refined cost.
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Please check out these resources:
SWMM Reference Manuals to see how the model calculates them.
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We are currently exploring expanding SewerTycoon’s reach, and if you are interested in adding your community please use the contact button link at the bottom of this page to let us know!
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Researchers at the Digital Water Lab at the University of Michigan have led the development of SewerTycoon in partnership with Friends of the Rouge, and Sierra Club Southeast Michigan Group.
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SewerTycoon has been made possible through grants from the Fred & Barbara Erb Family Foundation and the National Science Foundation.
SewerTycoon was made possible by the generosity and hard work of our funders and partners.
