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• Use of distributed storage with optimised layout and control reduces peak flows. • Two-step optimisation identifies contribution of layout/RTC to peak flow reduction. • Peak flow reductions due to distributed storage range from 5% to 40% • RTC achieves higher relative peak flow reduction for a smaller storage volume. • Flood hydrograph analysis provides insights on peak flow reduction mechanisms. The impact of urban flooding is increasing due to the effects of increasing urbanisation and climate change. The use of storages is a relatively well-established approach to reduce peak flows and therefore reduce the need for costly upgrades to stormwater conveyance infrastructure. Recently, real-time control (RTC) has been considered as a means of increasing the performance of these storages. However, previous RTC studies have generally focussed on evaluating RTC with pre-determined storage layouts, i.e., storage locations and volumes, and have ignored the impact of optimising the storage layout. Hence, the objectives of this paper are (i) to introduce a two-step approach to minimising peak flows at the catchment scale by firstly optimising the layout of distributed storages and then optimising their RTC strategies, and (ii) to test the effectiveness of this approach on a real catchment in Adelaide, South Australia. Results show that distributed storage with optimised layouts can achieve significantly higher peak flow reductions than more commonly used end-of-system storage. These range from 5% for 100 m3 of system storage up to 40% for 700 m3 of system storage – whereas end-of-system storage achieved no peak flow reduction for up to 700 m3 of storage. The addition of optimised RTC to distributed storages is able to achieve an additional 10% in peak flow reduction. This increase in performance due to RTC is more significant for smaller system storage volumes. Analysis of the flood hydrographs shows the system peak flow reductions are achieved by attenuating hydrographs at individual storages, as well as delaying hydrographs to reduce their coincidence at the confluence of sub-catchments. These results highlight the potential for using optimised distributed storage layout and RTC as an alternative approach to end-of-system storage to reduce flood peaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]