Some features of the ASCE Shopping cart and login features of the website will be down for maintenance on Sunday, June 16th, 2024, beginning at 12:00 A.M. ET and ending at 6:00 A.M. ET. During this time if you need immediate assistance at 1-800-548-2723 or [email protected].

Chapter
Apr 26, 2012

Assessing the Impact of Loading Rate Uncertainties in TMDL Allocations

Publication: World Environmental and Water Resource Congress 2006: Examining the Confluence of Environmental and Water Concerns

Abstract

To account for uncertainty in the form of variability and incomplete knowledge in Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies, a Margin of Safety (MOS) is introduced, typically chosen arbitrarily to be 5%. This study characterizes significant uncertainties present in loading rates by using multiple scenarios that each act as real potential loads to the watershed. Loading rates are generated from specified parameter spaces using the Latin Hypercube Sampling technique, and sample distributions are chosen based on various published loading rates and the likelihood that particular loads would more closely represent loads applied to the watershed. The multiple loading rate scenarios, coupled with the multiple water quality and hydrologic parameter sets are then simulated with the watershed model, HSPF. Acceptance criteria are then applied to assess the likelihood of a particular parameter/load set to act as a real simulator of the watershed. A robust genetic algorithm model linked with a response matrix, is then used to optimize TMDL allocations and predict the reliability of compliance associated with each allocation scenario. This methodology is applied to fecal coliform load allocations in the Moore's Creek Watershed in Virginia. The results are compared to a similar study that assumed loading rates to be deterministic, allowing for the assessment of the impact of uncertainty in loading rates.

Get full access to this chapter

View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to World Environmental and Water Resource Congress 2006
World Environmental and Water Resource Congress 2006: Examining the Confluence of Environmental and Water Concerns
Pages: 1 - 10

History

Published online: Apr 26, 2012

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

ASCE Technical Topics:

Authors

Affiliations

Alex Foraste
Graduate, Research Assistants, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904
Teresa B. Culver [email protected]
Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904. E-mail: [email protected]
Imtiaz Taher
Graduate, Research Assistants, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904

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.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Paper
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Paper
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share