Probabilistic Analysis of Ocean Outfall Mixing Zones
This article has a reply.
VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 122, Issue 5
Abstract
A methodology for ocean outfall mixing zone analysis is presented. It is based on a combination of four deterministic models for predicting hydrodynamic mixing behaviors of the discharged effluent, a continuous time domain simulation method, and an exceedance probability field concept. The approach provides a framework for evaluating mixing zones in compliance with receiving water criteria that are set in statistical terms. The approach was applied to the Hollywood outfall located off the east coast of South Florida. An exceedance probability field for effluent at a specified relative concentration of 0.021 was created. This field was applicable for determining the exceedance probability-based concentrations of any conservative pollutant at the regulatory mixing zone edge. A comparison of the probabilistic approach with the worst-case approach was made. The use of the worst-case approach was found to be too conservative for the subject outfall.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Bale, A. E., Meyer, G. K., and Orlob, G. T. (1990). “Probabilistic simulation of coastline contamination.”Water Resour. Sys. Appl., S. Simonovic, ed., Proc., Int. Symp., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 492–501.
2.
Baumgartner, D. J., Frick, W. E., Roberts, P. J. W., and Bodeen, C. A. (1993). “Dilution models for effluent discharges.”ERL-N ( Newport ), N-210 . U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.
3.
Brooks, N. H. (1960). “Diffusion of sewage of effluent in an ocean current.”Proc., 1st Int. Conf. Waste Disposal in Marine Envir., E. A. Pearson, ed., Pergamon Press, New York, N.Y., 246–267.
4.
Bumgardner, J., Malone, C., Walker, L. F., and Shanks, R. F.(1993). “Use of Monte Carlo techniques to assess POTW compliance with EPA water quality criteria for heavy metals.”Water Envir. Res., 65(5), 674–678.
5.
Chin, D. A.(1987). “Influence of surface waves on outfall dilution.”J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, 113(8), 1006–1018.
6.
Doneker, R. L., and Jirka, G. H. (1990). “Expert system for hydrodynamic mixing zone analysis of conventional and toxic submerged single port discharges (CORMIX1).”Rep. No. EPA/600/3-90/012. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.
7.
Donigian, A., and Waggy, W. H.(1974). “Simulation—a tool for water resource management.”Water Resour. Bull., 10(2), 229–244.
8.
Florida Department of Environmental Regulation. (1993). “Florida administrative code 17.” Tallahassee, Fla.
9.
Hazen and Sawyer, P.C. (1994a). “SEFLOE II (Southeast Florida outfall experiment II) final report.” Hollywood, Fla.
10.
Hazen and Sawyer, P.C. (1994b). “Mixing zone evaluations.”Final rep. for City of Hollywood Utility Dept., Hollywood, Fla.
11.
Huang, H., Proni, J. R., and Tsai, J. J.(1994). “Probabilistic approach to initial dilution of ocean outfalls.”Water Envir. Res., 66, 787–793.
12.
Huang, H., and Wang, F.(1993). “Estimation of visitation frequency of sea outfall plumes.”Marine Pollution Bull., 26(9), 507–511.
13.
Imberger, J., and Luketina, D. (1987). “Turbulent motions in a surface buoyant jet.”Proc., 3rd Int. Symp. on Stratified Flows, E. J. List and G. H. Jirka, eds., 755–771.
14.
Koh, R. C. Y.(1988). “Shoreline impact from ocean waste discharges.”J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, 114(4), 361–376.
15.
Lee, J. H. W., and Cheung, V.(1991). “Mixing of buoyancy-dominated jets in a weak current.”Proc., Inst. Civ. Engrs., Part 2, 91, 113–129.
16.
Lee, J. H. W., and Neville-Jones, P.(1987). “Initial dilution of horizontal jet in crossflow.”J. Hydr. Div., ASCE, 113(5), 615–629.
17.
Orlob, G. T., and Tumeo, M. A. (1986). “Monte Carlo simulation of coastline contamination by an ocean discharge of wastewater.”Proc., Int. Symp. on Buoyant Flows, 469–479.
18.
Proni, J. R., Huang, H., and Dammann, W. P.(1994). “Initial dilution of southeast Florida ocean outfalls.”J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, 120(12), 1409–1425.
19.
Roberts, P. J. W.(1980). “Ocean outfall dilution: effects of currents.”J. Hydr. Div., ASCE, 106, 769–782.
20.
Roberts, P. J. W.(1986). “The use of current data in ocean outfall design.”Water Sci. Technol., 18(11), 111–120.
21.
Sullivan, P. K., and Vithanage, D. (1994). “Impacts on the nearshore marine environment from the Sand Island municipal outfall in Honolulu, Hawaii.”Proc., MTS 94: Challenges and Opportunities in Marine Envir., 663–668.
22.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (1991). “Technical support document for water quality-based toxics control.”EPA/505/2-90-001. Office of Water, Washington, D.C.
23.
von Sperling, M.(1994). “Calibration of poor identifiable systems: application to activated sludge model.”J. Envir. Engrg., ASCE, 120(3), 625–644.
24.
Webb, A. T. (1987). “Ocean outfalls—a simulation design approach.”Proc., Inst. Engrs. Australian Conf. Hydr. Civ. Engrs., Inst. of Civ. Engrs., Melbourne, Australia, 56–60.
25.
Wood, I. R.(1993). “Asymptotic solutions and behavior of outfall plumes.”J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, 119(5), 555–580.
26.
Wright, S. J. (1977). “Effects of ambient crossflows and density stratification on the characteristic behavior of round turbulent buoyant jets.”Rep. KH-R-36. W. M. Keck Lab. of Hydr. and Water Resour., California Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, Calif.
27.
Wright, S. J., Roberts, P. J. W., Yan, Z., and Bradley, N. E. (1991). “Surface dilution of round submerged buoyant jets.”J. Hydr. Res., 29(1), 67–89.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 122 • Issue 5 • May 1996
Pages: 359 - 367
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: May 1, 1996
Published in print: May 1996
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.