Stormwater Models
Modelling is useful for assessing both:
- where the largest problems are, and
- what water management strategy is most cost-effective.
1. Water quantity models
2. Water quality models
3. Case studies
Water Quantity Models
DRAINS stormwater network model (Watercom and Dr. Geoffrey O'Loughlin)
This is a Stormwater Drainage System design and analysis program. It provides a much enhanced successor to the ILSAX program which has been widely used for urban stormwater system design and analysis in Australia and New Zealand. The DRAINS program will perform hydraulic grade line analyses, design stormwater drainage systems and produce summary graphs and tables, and pipe long section drawings.
BOSS International
Various good hydrological models, including:
StormNET™ - used for analyzing and designing urban stormwater systems and sewers. StormNET combines hydrology, hydraulics, and water quality in a graphical, easy-to-use interface. Supports both imperial and metric (SI) units. StormNET is approved by FEMA and all state and federal government agencies. StormNET’s SWMM analysis engine is a collaborative effort between Camp Dresser & McKee (CDM) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). SWMM is the most widely applied stormwater and wastewater model in North America (see separate link below).
Visual MODFLOW - 3D groundwater flow and contaminant transport modeling with a high quality visual interface. Includes the latest versions of MODFLOW, MODPATH, MT3DMS, RT3D, WinPEST, VMOD 3D-Explorer, Enviro-Base Pro and others.
BOSS HEC-RAS provides a visual interface to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ HEC-RAS water surface profile model, used for modeling both steady and unsteady, one-dimensional, gradually varied channel flow.
Storm Water Management Model (EPA SWMM)
The US EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) is a dynamic rainfall-runoff simulation model used for single event or long-term (continuous) simulation of runoff quantity and quality from primarily urban areas. SWMM 5 is a complete re-write of the first version developed in 1971 and offering GIS based input formats and extensive graphical outputs, including color-coded drainage area and conveyance system maps, time series graphs and tables, profile plots, and statistical frequency analyses. Whilst free, there is no support from the EPA, only a swmm-users forum.
SLAMM Urban Runoff and Pollutant Model (US Geological Survey)
The model was developed to examine the relationships between sources of runoff pollutants and their effect on runoff quality. It has since been expanded to include a number of source area/outfall control activities (infiltration practices, wet detention ponds, porous pavement, street cleaning, catchbasin cleaning, and grass swales). SLAMM is based on field data, with little reliance on theory that has not been field tested.
StormSHED Hydrology Modelling Software (Boss International - Software Company)
This program allows the user to compute storm runoff hydrographs for an unlimited number of drainage areas, and then route the resulting flows through a network of ditches, channels, gutters, pipes, culverts, flow structures, storage detention ponds, and reservoirs for both rural and municipal storm sewer analysis and design.
A probabilistic behaviour model for simulation of ex-house water demand (paper)
Water Quality Models
MUSIC Stormwater Quality Management Model (CRC for Catchment Hydrology)
Designed for use in a range of urban stormwater applications. Capable of analysing catchments from 0.01km2 to 100km2 to determine the effect of stormwater treatment devices on downstream water quality. Output is produced in tabular and graphical form.
SWMM Original Stormwater Model (US EPA)
The Stormwater Management Model was originally developed in 1971 for the analysis of quantity and quality problems associated with urban runoff. It can simulate all aspects of the urban hydrologic and quality cycles, including rainfall, surface and subsurface runoff, flow routing through drainage network, storage and treatment.
QUAL2E Stream Quality Model (US EPA)
Analyses conventional pollutants in branching streams and well mixed lakes. It is generally used as a water quality planning tool and can study the impact of waste loads on in-stream quality as well as identify the magnitude and quality of non-point loads.
HSPF Catchment Runoff Quality and Quantity Model (US EPA)
A software package developed to simulate catchment hydrology and water quality (conventional and toxic organic pollutants). It allows the integrated simulation of land and soil contaminant runoff processes with in-stream hydraulic and sediment-chemical interactions.
see also Catchment Pollution Calculators
(
"Back of the envelope' calculations [actually using spreadsheets])
Case studies
Catchment / estuarine modelling of Moreton Bay, Queensland (Queensland Govt)
Linking catchment inputs to estuarine response - models, powerful tools for coastal management (paper)
Evaluating the effects of urbanisation and land-use planning using groundwater and surface water models (Wisconsin, USA)
We suggest taking time to check whether your current engineering brief sits well from an ecological perspective - whether it makes sense, when you widen its context ... and where you might like to take it ...
This is a practical application of 'listening to ourselves' - allowing our tacit, implicit, knowledge ... our 'feel' for what is going on to inform what we do ... As Polanyi, Gendlin and others have underlined, we each know more than it is easy to say. For more on how to 'use gut feel skillfully', see Listening to ourselves.
Does your brief address its ecological context explicitly?, holistically? What ecosystems will feel the effects of your designs? |
Ecological contexts |
Have you considered how to negotiate a change to your brief, if needed? |
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When your engineering approach is innovative (for your organisation), the planning process can be used to build your organisational capacity to do more work of this kind. All this needs is a different approach to project management. |
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Have you considered how you will evaluate the ecological performance of your engineering works? |
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Have you contemplated sourcing additional funds so you can take a more innovative approach? |
