IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,221,781
Granted Patent B2
US 12,221,781 · App. 18/460,108 · Granted Feb 11, 2025

Systems and methods for underground storage of storm and other water sources

Inventors: Ryan Gershman (Indianapolis, IN); Jason Sheasley (Indianapolis, IN); Matthew Rubin (Indianapolis, IN); Carroll Weisiger (Indianapolis, IN); Alen Fetahagic (Indianapolis, IN)
Assignee: Underground Industries LLC
E03F1/002
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,221,781
App. No.
18/460,108
Granted
Feb 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In various embodiments, the disclosure relates to a system for locating storm and/or waste water to a subsurface region. The system can be sized to replace, in some instances, retention ponds and to increase developable square footage on a region of land. The system can include a conduit for directing a volume of storm and/or waste water to a subsurface region located at least as deep as the aquifer layer. The system can be sized to handle a volume of water generated during a 100 year storm. In certain embodiments, the subsurface region is located directly below a land structure (e.g., a building structure).

Claims (32)

1. A system for directing water to a subsurface region, comprising:

a network comprising two or more wells, each well comprising:

a conduit for directing a volume of water to a subsurface region located below a land surface, the subsurface region being formed from an earth surface adapted to contact the water and having a hydraulic conductivity of at least 10 −5 cm/s, wherein an upper portion of the subsurface region is located at a distance of at least 35 feet below the land surface, wherein each conduit of the two or more wells is in fluidic communication with each other, and wherein the subsurface region is further formed at least in part from at least one of bedrock, glacial till, and gravel.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one trench fluidically coupled to the network.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one trench has a depth of about 6 feet.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one trench has an exfiltration capacity of about 6 gallons per minute (gpm).

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network is fluidically connected to a central connector.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the central connector connects the two or more wells.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein a well of the two or more wells is a drainage well.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subsurface region is located in a ground layer of bedrock.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conduit is in fluidic communication with a combination of at least a trench and at least a well.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more wells of the network are positioned around a perimeter of a land structure.

11. A method of directing water to a subsurface region, comprising:

directing a volume of water through a network, the network comprising two or more wells, each well comprising:

a conduit for directing a volume of water to a subsurface region located below a land surface, the subsurface region being formed from an earth surface adapted to contact the water and having a hydraulic conductivity of at least 10 −5 cm/s; and

wherein an upper portion of the subsurface region is located at a distance of at least 35 feet below the land surface, wherein each conduit of the two or more wells is in fluidic communication with each other, and wherein the subsurface region is further formed at least in part from at least one of bedrock, glacial till, and gravel.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising at least one trench fluidically coupled to the network.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one trench has a depth of about 6 feet.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one trench has an exfiltration capacity of about 6 gallons per minute (gpm).

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the network is fluidically connected to a central connector.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the central connector connects the two or more wells.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein a well of the two or more wells is a drainage well.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the subsurface region is located in a ground layer of bedrock.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the conduit is in fluidic communication with a combination of at least a trench and at least a well.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the two or more wells of the network are positioned around a perimeter of a land structure.

21. A system for directing water to a subsurface region, the system comprising:

a network comprising two or more drainage wells, each well comprising:

a conduit for directing a volume of water to a subsurface region below a land surface, the subsurface region being formed from an earth surface adapted to contact the water and having a hydraulic conductivity of at least 10 −5 cm/s,

wherein the conduit is adapted to handle fluid volume flows generated during a 100 year storm, wherein each conduit of the two or more wells is in fluidic communication with each other and wherein an upper portion of the subsurface region is located at a distance of at least 35 feet below the land surface, and wherein the subsurface region is further formed at least in part from at least one of bedrock, glacial till, and gravel.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein a well of the two or more wells is a drainage well.

23. A system for directing water to a subsurface region, comprising:

a conduit for directing a volume of water to a subsurface region located below a land surface, the subsurface region being formed from an earth surface adapted to contact the water and having a hydraulic conductivity of at least 10 −5 cm/s, wherein an upper portion of the subsurface region is located at a distance of at least 35 feet below the land surface, and wherein the subsurface region is further formed at least in part from at least one of bedrock, glacial till, and gravel.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2023
From: GERSHMAN, RYAN
To: UNDERGROUND INDUSTRIES LLC
Reel/Frame 065269/0566 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2023
From: FETAHAGIC, ALEN
To: UNDERGROUND INDUSTRIES LLC
Reel/Frame 065269/0645 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2023
From: RUBIN, MATTHEW J.
To: UNDERGROUND INDUSTRIES LLC
Reel/Frame 065269/0673 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2023
From: SHEASLEY, JASON C.
To: UNDERGROUND INDUSTRIES LLC
Reel/Frame 065269/0676 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2023
From: WEISIGER, CARROLL
To: UNDERGROUND INDUSTRIES LLC
Reel/Frame 065269/0685 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 18161320 · Jan 30, 2023
Provisional Application 63406417 · Sep 14, 2022
Provisional Application 63357947 · Jul 1, 2022
Provisional Application 63310357 · Feb 15, 2022
Provisional Application 63304399 · Jan 28, 2022
Related Publication 20230407617A1 · Dec 21, 2023
References Cited (52)
US 3919848A · Sullivan · 1975 [cited by examiner]
US 4693300A · Adachi · 1987 [cited by applicant]
US 4919568A · Hurley · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 4934404A · DeStefano · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 5131196A · Florence · 1992 [cited by examiner]
US 5195284A · Florence · 1993 [cited by examiner]
US 5234286A · Wagner · 1993 [cited by applicant]
US 5249885A · Florence · 1993 [cited by examiner]
US 5735304A · Chumley · 1998 [cited by examiner]
US 5862633A · Van Ells · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 6382237B1 · Takai · 2002 [cited by examiner]
US 6467994B1 · Ankeny et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6926464B1 · Weidmann · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 6991402B2 · Burkhart · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 7029201B1 · McCormick et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 8074670B2 · Peters et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8152997B1 · Olson et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8162563B2 · Shaw et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8602687B2 · Hubbell, Jr. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 9593477B1 · Stivers · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 10882772B1 · Wensel · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11846094B2 · Gershman · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20030021630A1 · Norman · 2003 [cited by examiner]
US 20090050215A1 · Hayes · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20110253238A1 · Burkhart, Sr. et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20120187031A1 · Beatt · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 20140314485A1 · Emborg · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140346099A1 · Brantley et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150218025A1 · Couch · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20170225982A1 · Kiilerich · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20200173159A1 · Iorio · 2020 [cited by applicant]
CN 104727424A · 2015 [cited by examiner]
CN 105484340A · 2016 [cited by examiner]
CN 105735451A · 2016 [cited by examiner]
CN 107237388A · 2017 [cited by examiner]
CN 107761897A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 107905331A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 108560679A · 2018 [cited by examiner]
CN 109577450A · 2019 [cited by examiner]
CN 210194738U · 2020 [cited by applicant]
CN 112814120A · 2021 [cited by examiner]
CN 113863465A · 2021 [cited by examiner]
DE 20207819U1 · 2002 [cited by applicant]
EP 2333217A1 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
IN 664MU2015A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
KR 101038336B1 · 2011 [cited by examiner]
KR 1574644 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
KR 1783315 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
KR 1932145 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
PH 22014000326Y1 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2021130186A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
Aspect Consulting, LLC “Aquifer Storage and Recovery: An Innovative Approach to Water Storage,” Feb. 10, 2016. [cited by applicant]