Bexar County High Water Detection System (HWDS)
The Bexar County Public Works Department selected Kimley-Horn to evaluate, analyze, and coordinate the installation of the High Water Detection System (HWDS) units for 121 low-water crossings.
As part of this project, the Kimley-Horn team visited each low-water crossing, prepared plans for unit installation, and developed a Geographic Information System (GIS) site-specific analysis that included daily traffic counts, reported roadway closures, and determined impacted VIA bus routes, distances to the hospital, schools, and fire stations.
The HWDS, referred to as HALT (High Water Alert Lifesaving Technology), uses the ALERT (Automated Local Evaluation in Real Time) protocol, created by the National Weather Service, to collect sensor status data. The environmental monitoring units in Bexar County are composed of two Pressure Transducers (PT), or water sensors, installed next to low-lying roads and along low bridges/culverts to detect and report water levels. These PTs alert the master station which then provides a radio signal to flashers (flashing lights) installed on warning signs along the road to warn drivers of water over the road.
Kimley-Horn developed a system to consolidate the real-time sensor status information from multiple participating agencies on a Countywide website to alert citizens of low water crossing statuses. This website is currently available to citizens at www.bexarflood.org.