Frequently Asked Questions
Opti distinguishes itself from competitors, particularly those emerging from traditional engineering consulting firms, in several key ways based on its structure as a dedicated product company:
- Focus and Long-Term Viability: Opti is solely focused on developing and supporting its software and hardware products. This avoids the business model conflicts inherent when consulting firms develop software, which often leads them to eventually discontinue products or spin them off (as was the case with Opti's own origin from Geosyntec). As a product company, Opti is structured for long-term investment and continuous product improvement.
- Client Flexibility and Independence: Opti's products are designed to be used by any engineering service firm. This gives you the freedom to choose the best service partner for your needs, now and in the future. Conversely, purchasing software directly from an engineering consulting firm can make it challenging to work with other service providers later, potentially limiting your options and negotiating power.
- Dedicated Innovation and Roadmap: Because product development is Opti's core mission, we maintain an extensive, long-term product roadmap developed collaboratively with customers and partners. This includes future advancements in analytics, reporting, third-party data integration, and AI-driven watershed control. Companies primarily focused on consulting services are less likely to have this level of dedicated resources, long-term vision, robust customer support, or an implementation partner network dedicated solely to their software offerings.
Opti prepares infrastructure ahead of forecasted rain events. The weighting and thresholds Opti applies to expected watershed precipitation are configured by the client, for example, at what percent probability is a forecast trusted and whether it is more important to mitigate potential overflow or to maximize water stored during dry weather. So if an area is prone to higher than forecasted rain, and/or you want to be more conservative, Opti can be deployed to take this into account. These parameters can be adjusted over time and/or seasonally. Furthermore, Opti periodically reassesses how it should operate the storage to achieve configured objectives given the current observed site conditions and the latest forecast information. Often, quantitative forecasts of precipitation events get more accurate as the storm gets closer to the site. By continuously updating its assessment of what the best decision is, Opti is able to maximize the use of available information to achieve your storage objectives.
No, you do not need to manually operate the control valve once Opti's Continuous Monitoring and Adaptive Control (CMAC) system is active. The core function of the CMAC system is to provide intelligent automation for your stormwater infrastructure.
Here's why manual operation is no longer necessary:
- Automated Control: The CMAC platform takes over the decision-making process for valve adjustments. It uses real-time data, such as current water levels within your basin and upstream/downstream conditions, combined with predictive weather forecast information.
- Proactive Adjustments: Based on this data, the system proactively adjusts the valve position automatically – opening it to release treated water ahead of predicted storms to maximize storage capacity, or closing it to retain water for treatment or controlled release during and after rainfall.
- Optimized Performance: This automated, data-driven control ensures your stormwater system operates optimally to meet specific goals, whether that's flood mitigation, water quality improvement, regulatory compliance, or a combination thereof, often achieving better results than manual operation could.
- Reliability and Peace of Mind: By removing the need for manual intervention for routine operations, CMAC ensures consistent and reliable performance 24/7, regardless of staff availability or weather conditions, giving you peace of mind that your system is functioning as designed.
While manual override capabilities exist for maintenance or emergency situations, the day-to-day opening and closing of the valve is handled entirely by the Opti system, freeing up your resources and ensuring your stormwater assets are managed efficiently and effectively.
Opti distinguishes itself from simpler forecast-based alert systems through several key aspects:
- Patented Technology for Active Control: Opti utilizes patented technology (related to CMAC - Continuous Monitoring and Adaptive Control) that enables active management and control of water infrastructure in response to forecasts, going beyond just issuing alerts. This core technology is legally protected, making direct replication by competitors difficult.
- Dedicated Product Company Focus: As a company whose primary mission is product development, Opti invests continuously in its platform for the long term. This contrasts with companies or systems where software might be a secondary focus.
- Advanced Roadmap and Capabilities: Our commitment results in an extensive product roadmap that includes sophisticated features like advanced analytics, reporting, integration of third-party data sources, and ultimately, AI-driven watershed control. These capabilities aim for optimized system performance, far exceeding the scope of typical alert-only systems.
- Robust Support and Ecosystem: Being product-focused means Opti likely has dedicated customer support and implementation partners, offering more comprehensive service and flexibility than may be available for basic alert systems or products not central to a company's mission.
No, absolutely not. Facilities retrofitted with Opti are designed to safely manage flows from large storm events, just like the original design. During significant rainfall, Opti's software prioritizes safety and will automatically open the control valve as needed – up to fully open – to prevent overtopping. When the valve is fully open, the system behaves identically to the original basin design, allowing the same peak flow and maintaining the same maximum water level. Furthermore, built-in fail-safes ensure the valve defaults to a safe state (like fully open) even if connectivity or power is lost during an event.
Opti systems are designed for resilience, anticipating potential failures to minimize negative impacts and keep you informed. Here's how different scenarios are handled:
- Cellular/Network Failure: If the site loses its cellular connection and cannot check in with the central Opti Platform, the on-site controller automatically switches to a pre-defined local fail-safe mode. This mode is typically configured to ensure safety, such as setting a valve to fully open (acting like a passive system) or reverting to a basic function. You will receive an email alert notifying you of the connectivity loss. Once network service is restored, the system seamlessly resumes normal, optimized operations.
- Power Failure: Should the site lose main power, a battery backup system engages. This ensures the on-site controller remains powered, allowing the fail-safe logic to function and actuate control elements (like valves) as needed to maintain the safe state.
- Hardware Issues & Manual Overrides: The system includes several safeguards:
- Local Fail-Safe Logic: As mentioned, handles connectivity loss.
- Alerts: Email notifications are sent for critical issues like connectivity loss, if water levels reach overflow, or if essential data for control decisions becomes unavailable (which could indicate a sensor issue).
- Manual Control: If automated control is compromised or manual intervention is desired, authorized users can control valves remotely via a web browser. Additionally, maintenance staff have access to on-site electronic controls and manual hand cranks for direct valve operation.
In summary, the system prioritizes defaulting to a safe condition, notifying users of problems, and providing multiple layers of backup control in case of failures.
Yes, Opti systems are proven to function effectively in cold climates, including locations like Minnesota that experience freezing conditions. We ensure reliability in several ways:
- System Configuration: Parameters can be adjusted to specifically address challenges like partial ice cover.
- Seasonal Programming: The system can be pre-programmed to automatically alter its behavior during colder seasons or specific low-temperature events.
- Recommended Best Practices: For sites requiring continuous operation through winter, Opti advises implementing cold weather mitigation strategies. These include selecting actuators and control panels with built-in heaters, installing heat trace around valve bodies, insulating the control vault, and using ultrasonic (non-contact) level sensors or performing winterization procedures to prevent ice interference.
Opti is a SaaS - Software as a Service - company. There are many benefits associated with this business model:
- Reduced Time to Benefit: The traditional model requires software installation and configuration. SaaS, on the other hand, provides pre-installed and configured applications, thereby reducing the time spent on setup.
- Lower Costs: SaaS, which operates in a shared or multi-tenant environment, offers lower hardware and software license costs compared to traditional models. This cost-effectiveness expands the potential customer base to include small and medium-sized businesses who may have been priced out by the high cost of traditional software licenses. Additionally, maintenance costs are reduced since only one instance of the software runs for all customers. This centralized approach allows for efficient defect resolution, as a single fix benefits all users simultaneously.
- Scalability and Integration: SaaS solutions typically reside in scalable cloud environments and can integrate with other SaaS offerings. This eliminates the need for users to purchase additional servers or software, unlike traditional models. Users simply need to enable a new SaaS offering, and the SaaS provider will handle server capacity planning. Furthermore, the SaaS system does not need to be maintained and managed by an in-house technology team; the SaaS vendor does all of this.
- New Releases (Upgrades): Compared to traditional models that require users to purchase and install upgrade packages or pay for specialized upgrade services, SaaS providers offer more cost-effective and convenient upgrades. With SaaS, upgrades are seamlessly implemented and readily available to customers, reducing the expenses and effort associated with new releases.
- Easy to Use and Perform Proof of Concepts: SaaS offerings are easy to use since they already come with best practices. Users can do proof of concepts and test the software functionality or a new release feature in advance. Also, they can have more than one instance with different versions and do a smooth migration. Even for large environments, users can use SaaS offerings to test the software before buying it.
Opti systems are designed with customer-specific fail-safes, typically setting valves to a fully open or fully closed position if communication or control is lost.
Facility managers have several manual control options available: valves can be operated remotely through the Opti portal, locally at the control panel, locally at the actuator using an open/close switch, or manually using the emergency hand crank.
If a site enters fail-safe mode, automated alerts notify users so they can respond quickly. In fail-safe, the system acts as a passive structure and no longer actively manages water. Online support resources are available, and the Opti Support team can assist if additional action is needed.
Opti provides full support before, during, and after installation. Our team assists with system design, hardware setup, configuration, and commissioning to ensure a smooth launch.
Once operational, Opti systems are designed to be user-friendly and can be operated and maintained by the client’s team with basic training. Most day-to-day tasks—such as checking system status, running manual valve commands, and reviewing site data—can be performed directly through the Opti portal.
We offer online resources, training materials, and customer support to help clients maintain independence. For customers who prefer additional support, Opti also offers turnkey operations and maintenance (O&M) services to help manage system upkeep over the long term.
No, using Opti does not increase operation and maintenance requirements compared to traditional systems. All mechanical systems require some routine inspection and maintenance for long-term performance, and Opti helps make this process more efficient by providing continuous system data to support proactive site management.
We recommend inspections twice per year, typically in spring and fall. Inspections should include reviewing the control panel for cleanliness and water-tightness, confirming valve functionality, checking sensor mounting and integrity, and verifying power systems such as solar panels and batteries.
Calibration needs are minimal. Sensor calibrations are quick and easy, requiring only a measured distance to water from a known elevation and timestamp. Recalibration is generally only needed if system components are replaced or site conditions change. Opti’s Customer Success team actively monitors system performance and can assist with troubleshooting as needed.
It’s important to note that CMAC systems like Opti may shift some long-term maintenance needs. By increasing water retention time, more sediment settles within the stormwater control measure (SCM) rather than being conveyed downstream. As a result, sediment removal within the SCM may be needed more frequently. However, this should be viewed as a benefit—it helps protect downstream creeks and streams, reducing the need for costly restoration projects over time.
Opti valves are typically installed with upstream measures to minimize clogging, such as trash racks, screens, or internal weirs that block large debris from reaching the valve.
In addition, because Opti systems manage flow dynamically, valves are exercised regularly, helping to reduce the risk of buildup compared to passive systems where valves may sit idle for long periods.
Routine inspections are recommended to check for debris accumulation and ensure the system continues to operate as intended. If needed, the valve can be manually operated or cleaned as part of standard maintenance activities.
The immediate result of Opti services being abruptly shut-off without notice (extremely unlikely, but that is a scenario we are often asked about by regulators) is that all facilities would revert to an agreed upon fail-safe mode of operation. Systems in this state will remain safely in operation as a passive site. This fail-safe condition may also include local logic that does not rely on the cloud.
We are also able to arrange a software escrow to provide end customers with access to the software if Opti were to cease to operate.
You can certainly attempt to create Opti with AI. Most users don’t realize that only 25% of the software code is for functionality. The other 75% is for disaster recovery, redundancy, cybersecurity, reliability and scalability. Opti also requires firmware at the edge, web browser code, and cloud software. It is not a system that can be easily replicated with AI.
Opti’s architecture has been reviewed by some of the largest publicly held companies, municipalities as well as 3rd party auditors to ensure our functionality is accurate and our cybersecurity meets government requirements. “Using AI on my own’ will not be able to satisfy key requirements.
Opti software has been built by veteran software engineers teaming with hydroinformatics. Our system is a robust commercial software platform that has been in production for 15 years and has 3 US Patents for algorithms and capability set. To ensure safe, reliable system operation, trust the experts!
Implementing Opti’s smart stormwater solution delivers powerful financial, environmental, and regulatory returns. For every $1 invested in resiliency, communities avoid $6 or more in future damages. Opti amplifies these investments by delivering cost savings versus passive stormwater methods and utilizing real-time control to prevent flooding, reduce property damage, and minimize disruption to communities.
Opti’s retrofit capabilities deliver results at a fraction of the cost of traditional, capital-intensive stormwater projects – saving 60-90% – while also extending the life and enhancing the performance of existing infrastructure by 5-10x. Additionally, Opti’s patented ability to dynamically manage storage capacity often results in downsizing the footprint of new stormwater infrastructure, ultimately cutting upfront capital costs and freeing space for more valuable development opportunities.
Opti simplifies regulatory compliance with real-time data and performance reporting, reducing the risk of violations and associated fines. The solution also improves water quality, advances sustainability goals, and can unlock stormwater fee credits or grant funding.
Together, these benefits make Opti a cost-effective, resilient, and future-ready solution for modern stormwater management.
