Urban Watersheds Research Institute

What Urban Watersheds Research Institute does

Urban Watersheds Research Institute (UWRI) is a Colorado-based 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded in 2005, focused on sustainable urban watersheds and water resources. The institute develops technical, institutional, legal, and economic information through research promotion, seminars, technical training classes, workshops, and scholarships for engineering students. Its primary audiences are stormwater engineers and water resources professionals in the public and private sectors who design, model, and manage stormwater systems, with a secondary audience of engineering students receiving financial support through the Charles Rowney Scholarship Fund.

UWRI's core product is the Water Quality Capture Optimization Statistical Model (WQ-COSM), an Excel-based software tool that simplifies the calculation of Water Quality Capture Volumes (WQCVs) for sizing stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs), Low Impact Development (LID), and Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) facilities. The software applies continuous simulation using precipitation data from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and supports three runoff models — Rational Method, modified Horton's, and Green-Ampt — the latter two being similar to EPA SWMM algorithms. It processes catchment hydrologic parameters in batch mode for 1–10 impervious conditions and produces optimized WQCVs for each.

The institute's revenue model is donation-driven, supplemented by training-class registration fees. WQ-COSM is distributed at no charge via direct website download under a user disclaimer, with donations solicited to support continued development. Training classes are held in person at the offices of the Mile High Flood District in Lakewood, Colorado, with registration fees discounted for Mile High Flood District sponsorship, CASFM members, RM-APWA members, and AWWA members. UWRI is governed by a Board of Directors and Board of Advisors including Ben Urbonas (President-Emeritus), James C.Y. Guo (Vice President), Chi Ho Sham, Larry Roesner, and other Colorado-based water-resources professionals.

Name

Urban Watersheds Research Institute

Legal name

Urban Watersheds Research Institute

Website

https://uwtrshd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Urban Watersheds Research Institute is a Colorado-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides free Excel-based WQ-COSM stormwater modeling software, training classes, and scholarships to water resources engineers and engineering students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stormwater Management Software

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Quality & Watershed/Hydrologic Modeling (SWMM/HEC-RAS, Flood/Runoff/Nutrient) (EUAHAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance (BPAHAJAJ), Stormwater Management & MS4 Compliance Services (BPALAMAL)

Keywords

• Stormwater management software
• Water quality modeling
• Urban watershed research
• Continuing education training
• Engineering scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Highlands Ranch

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: UWRI is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that accepts donations to support its mission. Donors can contribute online or by mail, and significant donors (Founder, Advocate, Supporter, Patron, and Sustaining Givers) are recognized on the scholarship fund's website. The institute also collects donations for the Charles Rowney Scholarship Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Urban Watersheds Research Institute (UWRI) develops and distributes the Water Quality Capture Optimization Statistical Model (WQ-COSM), an Excel-based program that simplifies the calculation of Water Quality Capture Volumes (WQCVs) for sizing stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs), Low Impact Development (LID), and Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) facilities. The institute complements this software with fee-based continuing education classes, seminars, and workshops, and runs the Charles Rowney Scholarship Fund for engineering students pursuing sustainable water resources education.

Product overview

Urban Watersheds Research Institute is a non-profit that offers a single primary software product: the Water Quality Capture Optimization Statistical Model (WQ-COSM), an Excel-based stormwater management tool. WQ-COSM enables engineers and stormwater professionals to size Best Management Practices (BMPs), Low Impact Development (LID), and Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) facilities by computing Water Quality Capture Volumes (WQCVs) through continuous simulation. The Institute also provides complementary training classes, seminars, workshops, and publishes technical papers on stormwater management and urban watersheds, but its core product offering centers on WQ-COSM.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WQ-COSM: Water Quality Capture Optimization Statistical Model - an Excel-based program that simplifies calculating Water Quality Capture Volumes (WQCVs) for stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs), Low Impact Development (LID), and Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) facilities.

Products and services

• Water Quality Capture Optimization Statistical Model (WQ-COSM) An Excel-based program that simplifies calculating Water Quality Capture Volumes (WQCVs) for sizing stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs), Low Impact Development (LID), and Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) facilities. It uses continuous simulation to process catchment hydrologic parameters and National Climatic Data Center precipitation data to estimate WQCVs, supports three runoff models (Rational Method, modified Horton's, and Green-Ampt), and runs in batch mode to process one to ten catchment impervious conditions. Distributed free of charge to stormwater professionals under a disclaimer-based download agreement.
• Continuing Education Training Classes and Seminars Fee-based continuing education classes, seminars, and workshops for stormwater and water resources professionals, covering topics such as EPA SWMM 5.1 and CUHP/SWMM. Classes are hosted at the Mile High Flood District offices in Lakewood, Colorado, with discounts for early registration and for members of CASFM, RM-APWA, and AWWA.
• Charles Rowney Scholarship Fund A scholarship program administered by UWRI that supports engineering students pursuing education bridging science, technology, and engineering in support of sustainable water resources. Funded through donations and recognized donor tiers (Founder, Advocate, Supporter, Patron, Sustaining Givers).

Quantifiable outcome

• Simplifies calculation process for stormwater BMP sizing
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, significant and supporting.

• Mile High Flood DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMile High Flood District sponsors classes and seminars hosted by UWRI, allowing the institute to reduce registration fees. Classes are held at their offices in Lakewood, Colorado.
• Colorado Association of Stormwater and Floodplain Managers (CASFM)significantGTM or Marketing PartnerCASFM members receive additional discounts on training classes offered by UWRI. Collaborative relationship for professional development in stormwater management.
• Rocky Mountains American Public Works Chapter (RM-APWA)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerRM-APWA members receive additional discounts on UWRI training classes.
• American Water Works Association (AWWA)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerAWWA members receive significant discounts for all classes related to water distribution system analysis and design.
• Colorado Stormwater CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a training opportunity partner for organizations related to UWRI's areas of work and interest in stormwater management.
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner for conferences and events related to UWRI's technical focus areas.
• American Public Works Association (APWA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner for education and career development opportunities related to UWRI's focus areas.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Autodesk: Provides Storm and Sanitary Analysis and the InfoWorks line (via the Innovyze acquisition) for stormwater and wastewater modeling. A broad incumbent in engineering software that overlaps with WQ-COSM's market but at enterprise scale.
• Bentley Systems: Enterprise infrastructure software vendor offering OpenFlows products (SewerGEMS, CivilStorm, StormCAD) for stormwater collection system modeling. Operates broadly in the water and civil infrastructure space where UWRI operates in a niche.

Direct peers

• HydroCAD Software: Commercial developer of HydroCAD, a widely used stormwater modeling application for sizing detention, culverts, and BMPs. Directly competes with WQ-COSM in simplifying hydrologic/hydraulic calculations for practicing engineers.
• Aquaveo: Developer of SMS (Surface-water Modeling System) and WMS (Watershed Modeling System), commercial tools for hydrologic and hydraulic simulation. Overlaps with WQ-COSM in watershed and stormwater modeling use cases for engineering professionals.
• CHI (Computational Hydraulics International): Developer of PCSWMM, a commercial graphical front-end and extension to EPA SWMM for stormwater and wastewater modeling. Targets the same engineering audience as UWRI with a more feature-rich, paid product.
• DHI (Danish Hydraulic Institute): Global provider of MIKE+ and related water modeling software used for urban drainage, stormwater, and water quality. Competes in the same stormwater modeling category as WQ-COSM, with a much larger commercial footprint.
• TUFLOW: Provider of 1D/2D hydrodynamic modeling software widely used for urban drainage, floodplain, and stormwater analysis. Adjacent to WQ-COSM's modeling focus with stronger 2D flood simulation capabilities.
• Innovyze: Developer of InfoSWMM, InfoWater, and related hydraulic modeling software built on SWMM. Now part of Autodesk, but historically a direct peer to WQ-COSM in the EPA-SWMM-derived modeling tooling market.
• Kisters: Supplies water resources management software (including KISTERS 3D-Hydro and related hydrology tools) used by utilities and consultants. Overlaps with UWRI's stormwater and watershed modeling niche in European and global markets.

Regional players

• Wright Water Engineers: Colorado-based water resources and stormwater engineering consulting firm, whose Senior Water Resources Engineer (Christopher Olson) serves on UWRI's Board of Directors. Operates in the same regional market and serves overlapping municipal stormwater clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uwtrshd.com%2Fdownloads%2Fwater-quality-capture-optimization-statistical-model-wq-cosm
• Xx.com/UrbanWatersheds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-watersheds-research-institute-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Urban Watersheds Research Institute