Using Local Weather Radar Data for Sewer System Modeling: Case Study in Flanders, Belgium
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 18, Issue 2
Abstract
Contemporary sewer system operation heavily relies on urban drainage model results. In a case study near Leuven, Belgium, this research investigates the potential of a cost-effective local area weather radar (LAWR) for providing rainfall input to sewer models. Before rainfall estimation was possible, the radar was calibrated using tipping bucket rain gauge measurements. Various calibration methods were investigated, and a nonlinearly regressed power law function taking range to the radar into account was most suitable in this case study. Rainfall estimations could be slightly improved by rendering the calibration dependent on radar output. Fifty-seven events were simulated using the InfoWorks CS modeling software, and the effect of radar input on model results was investigated. There were large quantitative deviations, but the qualitative course of time series observed in conduits was reproduced well. Although certain events show a higher correspondence between measured and simulated time series when using radar-driven input, the gauge-driven input generally outperforms the former in this case study and the accompanying model.
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Acknowledgments
The water company Aquafin NV funded this research project. The LAWR was installed on the roof of the main building of the province of Flemish Brabant. The Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium provided the nonrecording rainfall data, and MWH Soft Ltd. the InfoWorks-CS software for performing the hydrodynamic simulations.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 18 • Issue 2 • February 2013
Pages: 269 - 278
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 31, 2011
Accepted: Jan 12, 2012
Published online: Jan 14, 2012
Published in print: Feb 1, 2013
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