Who Murdered Your BMP? Design, Installation, and Maintenance Failures Explained with Sean Simonpietri and Corey Simonpietri from Exact Stormwater Management

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Key Topics 

The origins and growth of Exact Stormwater Management
Sean explains how the company evolved from small specialty installations into a regional stormwater contractor with national reach.

Contractor versus product supplier roles in stormwater
Corey clarifies Exact’s focus on installation, inspection, and maintenance.

Where BMP failures really begin
The discussion introduces design-stage issues that limit BMP performance before construction.

Constructability versus design intent
Sean explains how contractor experience can help engineers avoid designs that only work on paper.

Innovation without installation guidance
Corey discusses how new stormwater technologies can fail quickly when installation guidance is missing or ignored.

Case study: Fulton Green Street project
A large green infrastructure project in Richmond, Virginia that involved unique construction challenges.

Maintenance as the third BMP failure point
The conversation turns to how neglect leads to long-term system failure and higher costs.

The true cost of stormwater maintenance
Sean and Corey explain why routine maintenance costs less over time than deferred repairs or full system replacement.

“Who Murdered Your BMP?” as education and engagement
Corey explains how the concept is used to raise awareness, encourage learning, and share real-world examples, creating educational resources for property managers and other stakeholders.

Quotes

• “As an engineer, I really love the challenge and the strategy of trying to figure out problems and providing quality installation.” Sean Simonpietri 

• “Some BMPs get murdered right out of the gate because they are not designed in the best way possible to take advantage of the technology.” Corey Simonpietri 

• “You can make things pretty on paper that you cannot build.” Sean Simonpietri 

In this episode of the Stormwater World Podcast, host Ty Garmon speaks with Sean and Corey Simonpietri of Exact Stormwater about the three root causes of BMP failures: poor design, improper installation, or lack of maintenance. The conversation introduces their “Who Murdered Your BMP?” concept as both an educational tool and a lighthearted way to highlight real-world failures, while reinforcing the serious consequences. The episode emphasizes the contractor perspective, the importance of routine inspections and maintenance, and why investing in proper upkeep costs less than allowing systems to fail. This is a practical and candid discussion for engineers, property owners, and stormwater professionals.

The views expressed are that of the individual and do not represent the opinions of any companies past, present or future.

Connect with Corey Simonpietri:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreysimonpietri/

Email: corey@exactstorm.com

Website: https://www.exactstorm.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/exact-stormwater-management/posts/

 

Connect with Sean Simonpietri:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seansimonpietri/

Email: sean@exactstorm.com

 

Connect with Ty Garmon, LEED AP: 

Connect with Ty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tygarmon/

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