Evaluation of the Duration of Storm Effects on In-Stream Water Quality
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 135, Issue 2
Abstract
One of the primary reasons water-quality standards are not met is the effect of storm runoff and combined sewer overflows. A methodology is presented here to determine the duration of storm effects on stream water quality. The evaluation of the duration of storm effects on water quality involves two steps. First, calibration of an appropriate water quality model that is capable of simulation of unsteady-state conditions. Second, execution of the calibrated model with a number of storm loadings randomly sampled from a specific probability distribution that represents realistic ranges of pollutant concentrations. When the variations in the simulated water quality variables become negligible, it is assumed that the river system goes back to prestorm, dry-weather conditions. To illustrate this methodology, the DUFLOW unsteady-state water quality model and Latin hypercube sampling are applied to evaluate the duration of storm effects on water quality in the Chicago Waterway System (CWS). The duration of the storm impacts on dissolved oxygen lasts in the CWS depending on the location in the system and the magnitude of the storm. Moreover, a strong relation between the precipitation depth and the duration of the storm effects on in-stream water quality constituents was found in the CWS. Outcomes of this research suggest that the duration of the storm effect on water quality can be reasonably predicted with the help of robust unsteady-state water quality models.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Aalderink, R. H., Zoeteman, A., and Jovin, R. (1996). “Effect of input uncertainties upon scenario predictions for the River Vecht.” Water Sci. Technol., 33 (2), 107–118.
Alp, E. (2006). “A method to evaluate duration of the storm effects on in-stream water quality.” Ph.D. thesis, Marquette Univ., Milwaukee.
Alp, E., and Melching, C. S. (2006). “Calibration of a model for simulation of water quality during unsteady flow in the Chicago Waterway System and application to evaluate use attainability analysis remedial actions.” Technical Rep. No. 18, Institute of Urban Environmental Risk Management, Marquette Univ., Milwaukee.
Ambrose, R. B., Wool, T. A., Connolly, J. P., and Schanz, R. W. (1988). WASP4, a hydrodynamic and water quality model—Model theory, User’s manual, and programmer’s guide EPA/600/3-87-039, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, Ga.
Di Toro, D. M., and Fitzpatrick, J. (1993). “Chesapeake Bay Sediment Flux Model.” Contract Rep. No. EL-93-2, Prepared for U.S. Army Engineer Waterway Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss., Hydro Qual. Inc., Mahwah, N.J.
DUFLOW. (2000). DUFLOW for Windows V3.3: DUFLOW modelling studio: User’s guide, reference guide DUFLOW, and reference guide RAM, EDS/STOWA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Harremoes, P., Napstjert, L., Rye, C., and Larsen, H. O. (1996). “Impact of rain runoff on oxygen in an urban river.” Water Sci. Technol., 34 (12), 41–48.
Iman, R. L., Helton, J. C., and Campbell, J. E. (1981). “An approach to sensitivity analysis of computer models. Part I: Introduction, input variable selection and preliminary variable assessment.” J. Quality Technol., 13(3), 174–183.
Janssen, P. H. M., Heuberger, P. S. C., and Sanders, R. (1992). “UNCSAM 1.1: A software package for sensitivity and uncertainty analysis.” Rep. No. 959101004, National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Manache, G. (2001). “Sensitivity of a continuous water-quality simulation model to uncertain input parameters.” Ph.D. thesis, Vrije Univ. Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
Manache, G., and Melching, C. S. (2004). “Sensitivity analysis of a water-quality model using Latin hypercube sampling.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage., 130(3), 232–242.
McKay, M. D. (1988). “Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis using a statistical sample of input values.” Uncertainty analysis, Y. Ronen, ed., CRC, Boca Raton, Fla., 145–186.
McKay, M. D., Beckman, R. J., and Conover, W. J. (1979). “A comparison of three methods for selecting values of input variables in the analysis of output from a computer code.” Technometrics, 21(2), 239–245.
Mukhtasor, H. T., Veitch, B., and Bose, N. (2004). “An ecological risk assessment methodology for screening discharge alternatives of produced water.” Hum. Ecol. Risk Asses., 10(3), 505–524.
Neugebauer, A., and Melching, C. S. (2005). “Verification of a continuous water quality model under uncertain storm loads in the Chicago Waterway System.” Technical Rep. No. 17, Institute of Urban Environmental Risk Management, Marquette Univ., Milwaukee.
Novotny, V. (2004). “Simplified databased total maximum daily loads, or the world is log-normal.” J. Environ. Eng., 130(6), 674–683.
Novotny, V., et al. (1995). “A comprehensive UAA Technical Reference.” Proj. 91-NPS-1, Water Environment Research Foundation, Alexandria, Va.
Novotny, V., and Olem, H. (1994). Water quality: Prevention, identification, and management of diffuse pollution, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.
Sieber, A., and Uhlenbrook, S. (2005). “Sensitivity analyses of a distributed catchment model to verify the model structure.” J. Hydrol., 310 (1–4), 216–235.
Slack, J., and Nemura, A. (2000). “Evolving wet weather and water quality standards issues for CSO communities.” Proc., WEFTEC 2000: Surface Water Quality and Ecology Sympo. I: Wet Weather CSO Issues, Water Environment Federation 73rd Annual Conf. & Exposition on Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment, Anaheim, Calif.
Sohrabi, T. M., Shirmohammadi, A., Chu, T. W., Montas, H., and Nejadhashemi, A. P. (2003). “Uncertainty analysis of hydrologic and water quality predictions for a small watershed using SWAT2000.” Environmental Forensics, 4(4), 229–238.
USEPA. (1983a). “Results of the nationwide urban runoff program.” Water Planning Division, Final Rep. Vol. I, Washington, D.C.
USEPA. (1983b). Water quality standards handbook, Office of Water Regulations and Standards, Washington, D.C.
Vandenberghe, V., van Griensven, A., Bauwens, W., and Vanrolleghem, P. A. (2005). “Propagation of uncertainty in diffuse pollution into water quality predictions: Application to the River Dender in Flanders, Belgium.” Water Sci. Technol., 51(3–4), 347–354.
Westcott, N. E. (2003). “Continued operation of a 25-raingage network for collection, reduction, and analysis of precipitation data for Lake Michigan diversion accounting: Water year 2002.” Illinois State Water Survey Contract Rep. No. 2003-01.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 135 • Issue 2 • March 2009
Pages: 107 - 116
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Mar 19, 2007
Accepted: Jul 9, 2008
Published online: Mar 1, 2009
Published in print: Mar 2009
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.