Simulation Model for Flow Augmentation Costs

A generalized mathematical model is being developed at the University of Florida to permit the simulation of the economic and physical interactions of sewage treatment and low flow augmentation, and subsequent evaluation from a water quality standpoint. An essential phase of this project, a study of low flow augmentation storage costs, is analyzed. The main objective was to obtain a functional relationship between the storage volume required and those variables which were found to affect it. The variables considered were statistical parameters describing the nature of the streamflows and the demands. The results could then be integrated with regional cost curves to give generalized cost expressions. Initially, monthly streamflow and demand records of a desired length were generated from historical data by a computer program. The operation of various reservoir sizes was simulated and the number of deficiencies during the time period considered were counted. After this process was repeated for several combinations of values of the variables, the desired regression equation was derived.