Modeling Turbidity and the Effects of Alum Application for a Water Supply Reservoir
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 1
Abstract
High loads of inorganic particles received following runoff events from terrigenous sources can cause elevated turbidity ( ) levels in water supply lakes and reservoirs. The development, successful testing, and application of a mechanistic model is documented for Kensico Reservoir, New York, the terminal reservoir of New York City’s multireservoir unfiltered water supply, where a standard of nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) must be met in the withdrawals. The model includes three submodels: (1) hydrothermal/transport; (2) turbidity; and (3) alum floc deposition. The alum floc deposition submodel supports simulation of the extent of local deposits formed from alum additions made to reduce high delivered from extreme runoff events. The modeling is supported by long-term monitoring of the inflows, reservoir, and withdrawals, characterization of the turbidity-causing particles (mostly clay minerals, in diameter), resolution of specific conductance (tracer) patterns with rapid profiling instrumentation, and characterizations of the alum floc deposits. The two-dimensional hydrothermal/transport and submodels are demonstrated to perform well in both long- and short-term simulations. Predictions of extent and magnitude of the alum floc deposits are shown to be consistent with the available information. Application of the tested model establishes violations of the standard that would have occurred for extended intervals without the alum additions. The volume of the in-reservoir floc deposit formed from this practice is estimated.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Ahlfeld, D., Joaquin, A., Tobiason, J., and Mas, D. (2003). “Case study: Impact of reservoir stratification on interflow travel time.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 129(12), 966–975.
Babin, M., Morel, A., Fournier-Siere, V., Fell, F., and Stramski, D. (2003). “Light scattering properties of marine particles in coastal and open ocean waters as related to the particle mass concentration.” Limnol. Oceanogr., 48(2), 843–859.
Bloesch, J. (1995). “Mechanisms, measurement and importance of sediment resuspension in lakes.” Mar. Freshwater Res., 46(1), 295–304.
Buchak, E. M. (2001). “Kensico Reservoir CE-QUAL-W2 Application: Water budget, temperature, and dye calibration summary.” New York City Department of Environmental Protection, New York.
Chapra, S. C. (1997). Surface water-quality modeling, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Chapra, S. C. (2003). “Engineering water quality models and TMDLs.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage., 129(4), 247–256.
Chung, S. W., and Gu, R. (1998). “Two-dimensional simulations of contaminant currents in stratified reservoir.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 124(7), 704–711.
Chung, S. W., Hipsey, M. R., and Imberger, J. (2009). “Modeling the propagation of turbid density inflows into a stratified lake: Daecheong Reservoir, Korea.” Environ. Modell. Software, 24(12), 1467–1482.
Cole, T. M., and Wells, S. A. (2002). “CE-QUAL-W2: A two-dimensional, laterally averaged, hydrodynamic and water quality model, version 3.1.” Instruction Rep. EL-2002-1, U.S. Army Engineering and Research Development Center, Vicksburg, MS.
Davies-Colley, R. J., and Smith, D. G. (2001). “Turbidity, suspended sediment, and water clarity: A review.” J. Am. Water Resour. Assoc., 37(5), 1085–1101.
Davies-Colley, R. J., Vant, W. N., and Smith, D. G. (2003). Color and clarity of natural waters: Science and management of optical water quality, Blackburn, Caldwell, NJ.
Edinger, J. E., and Buchak, E. M. (1975). A hydrodynamic, two-dimensional reservoir model: The computational basis, U.S Army Engineer Division, Cincinnati.
Effler, S. W., Matthews (Brooks), C. M., and Matthews, D. A. (2001). “Patterns of gross deposition in reservoirs enriched in inorganic tripton.” Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 58(11), 2177–2188.
Effler, S. W., Matthews, D. A., Kaser, J., Prestigiacomo, A. R., and Smith, D. G. (2006). “Runoff event impacts on a water supply reservoir: Suspended sediment loading, turbid plume behavior, and sediment deposition.” J. Am. Water Resour. Assoc., 42(6), 1697–1710.
Findikakis, A. N., Locher, F. A., and Ryan, P. J. (1980). “Temperature and turbidity simulation in Spada Lake.” Proc., Symp. on Surface Water Impoundments, ASCE, New York, 594–603.
Gannett Fleming, Inc., and Hazen, and Sawyer, P.C. (2007). “Catskill turbidity control study: Phase III final report.” Bureau of Engineering Design and Construction, New York City Dept. of Environmental Protection, New York.
Gelda, R. K., and Effler, S. W. (2007a). “Modeling turbidity in a water supply reservoir: Advancements and issues.” J. Environ. Eng., 133(2), 139–148.
Gelda, R. K., and Effler, S. W. (2007b). “Testing and application of a two-dimensional hydrothermal model for a water supply reservoir: Implications of sedimentation.” J. Environ. Eng. Sci., 6(1), 73–84.
Gelda, R. K., and Effler, S. W. (2008). “Probabilistic model for temperature and turbidity in a reservoir withdrawal.” Lake Reservoir Manage., 24(3), 219–230.
Gelda, R. K., Owens, E. M., and Effler, S. W. (1998). “Calibration, verification, and an application of a two-dimensional hydrothermal model [CE-QUAL-W2(t)] for Cannonsville Reservoir.” Lake Reservoir Manage., 14(2–3), 186–196.
Gelda, R. K., Effler, S. W., Peng, F., Owens, E. M., and Pierson, D. C. (2009). “Turbidity model for Ashokan Reservoir, New York: Case study.” J. Environ. Eng., 135(9), 885–895.
HydroLogics. (2003). “User manual for OASIS with OCL.” 〈www.hydrologics.net〉 (Oct. 28, 2010).
Kirk, J. T. O. (1985). “Effects of suspensoids (turbidity) on penetration of solar radiation in aquatic ecosystems.” Hydrobiologia, 125(1), 195–209.
Kirk, J. T. O. (1994). Light and photosynthesis in aquatic ecosystems, Cambridge Univ., London.
Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. (2007). “Extent and depth of alum floc in Kensico Reservoir.” New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Kingston, NY.
Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. (2008). “Impacts of dredging the estimated area of alum floc deposition in Kensico Reservoir.” New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Kingston, NY.
Martin, J. L., and McCutcheon, S. C. (1999). Hydrodynamics and transport for water quality modeling, Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL.
New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP). (1997). “Kensico watershed study semi-annual progress report.” Division of Drinking Water Quality Control, Bureau of Water Supply, Quality and Protection, Kingston, NY.
New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP). (2006). “Alum post treatment report: Water quality and system operations, Catskill water supply, October 13, 2005—May 24, 2006, Bureau of Water Supply, Division of Drinking Water Quality Control, Kingston, NY.
O’Donnell, D. M., and Effler, S. W. (2006). “Resolution of impacts of runoff events on a water supply reservoir with a robotic monitoring network.” J. Am. Water Resour. Assoc., 42(2), 323–335.
O’Donnell, S. M., Gelda, R. K., Effler, S. W., and Pierson, D. C. (2011). “Testing and application of a transport model for runoff event inputs for a water supply reservoir.” J. Environ. Eng., 137(8), 678–688.
Owens, E. M. (1998). “Development and testing of one-dimensional hydrothermal models of Cannonsville Reservoir.” Lake Reservoir Manage., 14(2–3), 172–185.
Peng, F., and Effler, S. W. (2007). “Suspended minerogenic particles in a reservoir: light scattering features from individual particle analysis.” Limnol. Oceanogr., 52(1), 204–216.
Peng, F., Effler, S. W., O’Donnell, D. M., Perkins, M. G., and Weidemann, A. D. (2007). “Role of minerogenic particles in light scattering in lakes and a river in Central New York.” Appl. Opt., 46(26), 6577–6594.
Peng, F., Effler, S. W., O’Donnell, D. M., Weidemann, A. D., and Auer, M. T. (2009a). “Characterization of minerogenic particles in support of modeling light scattering in Lake Superior through a two-component approach.” Limnol. Oceanogr., 54(4), 1369–1381.
Peng, F., Effler, S. W., Pierson, D., and Smith, D. G. (2009b). “Light-scattering features of turbidity-causing particles in interconnected reservoir basins and an intervening stream.” Water Res., 43(8), 2280–2292.
Perkins, M. G., Effler, S. W., Peng, F., Pierson, D., Smith, D. G., and Agrawal, Y. C. (2007). “Particle characterization and settling velocities for a water supply reservoir during a turbidity event.” J. Environ. Eng., 133(8), 800–808.
Richards, R. P., and Baker, D. B. (1993). “Trends in nutrient and sediment concentrations in Lake Erie tributaries, 1975–1990.” J. Great Lakes Res., 19(2), 200–211.
Weilenmann, U., O’Melia, C. R., and Stumm, W. (1989). “Particle transport in lakes: Models and measurements.” Limnol. Oceanogr., 34(1), 1–18.
Young, T. C., DePinto, J. V., and Heidtke, T. M. (1988). “Factors affecting the efficiency of some estimators of fluvial total phosphorus loads.” Water Resour. Res., 24(9), 1535–1540.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 1 • January 2012
Pages: 38 - 47
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 28, 2010
Accepted: Jul 14, 2011
Published online: Jul 16, 2011
Published in print: Jan 1, 2012
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.