Introduction

In traditional site design, managing stormwater often means carving out space for one massive underground tank. These vaults are designed to collect and hold stormwater until it can be slowly released or treated — but they come with major spatial and logistical challenges. In today’s urban environments, with space at a premium and infrastructure constantly competing for room, this approach is becoming increasingly problematic.

It’s time to rethink how we manage water — and Marino Cell is helping lead the way. By enabling stormwater to be managed in small, flexible clusters across a site, Marino Cell supports a smarter, more adaptable way of designing for water. It’s called dotted stormwater management — and it’s changing the game.

The Problem with One Big Tank

While centralized stormwater tanks may seem efficient on paper, they pose several real-world obstacles:

• They require a lot of space. In dense developments, carving out one large area for stormwater storage is rarely feasible.
• They often conflict with utilities. Large excavations run into water mains, fiber lines, power conduits — or all three.
• They disrupt the site. Massive digs mean more downtime, more staging, and more construction headaches.
• They create a single point of failure. If one tank clogs, cracks, or fails, the entire system is compromised.
• They isolate stormwater from the rest of the landscape. There’s often no functional or ecological connection between the tank and the rest of the site.

The Distributed Advantage of Marino Cell

As DeepRoot CEO Graham Ray identifies: “Marino Cell was built for urban infill projects.  You’re able to be much more nimble and flexible and have drainage areas dotted around the site as opposed to one large contiguous tank.”

Marino Cell thus changes game, making stormwater management possible in smaller spaces. Instead of building around a large, centralized tank, this modular system can be dotted throughout the site — tucked under sidewalks, parking areas, landscaped zones, or bioretention gardens.

Here’s why that matters:

• Design Flexibility: Place cells wherever you have room. No need to redesign the whole site around a tank.
• Land Use Efficiency: Don’t lose valuable square footage to infrastructure — keep your site working for people and performance.
• Easier Utility Coordination: Not only do smaller pods fit around utilities more easily, but Marino Cell also has utility integration built into its design: pipes can be run through its void space.
• Reduced Excavation Disruption: No giant dig. Install in phases or sections to minimize impact.
• Decentralized Treatment: Manage and treat water close to where it lands, improving water quality and reducing conveyance needs.

A System That Mimics Nature is the Future

Nature doesn’t funnel all water into one spot — it allows it to infiltrate where it falls. Distributed stormwater systems follow the same principle. By spreading treatment and infiltration across the landscape, these systems better replicate pre-development conditions.

This approach also supports:

• Green infrastructure goals
• Urban biodiversity
• Heat island reduction
• Stormwater quality improvements at the source

Cities are getting denser. Developments are more complex. Expectations around sustainability and water quality are rising. Dotted stormwater management — powered by flexible systems like Marino Cell — meets this moment. This isn’t just a trend. It’s a shift in philosophy: from control to collaboration, from centralization to integration.

Conclusion: Stormwater Should Fit the Site — Not the Other Way Around

One-size-fits-all stormwater infrastructure doesn’t fit the reality of today’s development landscape. Instead of forcing projects to accommodate infrastructure, Marino Cell empowers infrastructure to accommodate the project.

By treating stormwater where it falls — with modular, distributed, and site-smart design — we can build more resilient cities, more livable spaces, and a more sustainable future.