University City commissioners ask council to fund automation of river flood-monitoring system

University City — At a study session on Oct. 13, 2025, the University City City Council heard a presentation from the Stormwater Issues Commission seeking city support to automate its river- and rainfall-monitoring system, which commission members said can provide roughly a 30-minute flood-warning lead time.

Todd Thompson, chairman of the Stormwater Issues Commission, said the commission has installed nine river-level sensors and three rain-gauge sites since 2019 and added radar level sensors over the last year. "With 95% accuracy, we're able to predict the river level ... with about a 30 minute warning system," Thompson told the council.

Phil Easton, who presented the request, described a two-phase plan to move the commission from a largely manual, person-dependent system to an automated, city-accessible platform. Phase 1 would consolidate data…