Design rules and impact assessment for source control measures based on continuous long-term simulations

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Urban Hydrology
• Water Resource Management

Background:

• Growing emphasis on source control measures to mitigate urban runoff during wet weather.
• Implementation includes upstream storage, infiltration facilities, rainwater harvesting, and ditch revaluation.
• Challenges in design stem from long emptying times and non-linearly varying outflows of control facilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish design rules for source control measures in Flanders.
• To address the impact of long antecedent rainfall periods on facility design.
• To account for the complexities of non-linear outflow variations in storage facilities.

Main Methods:

• Continuous simulations using long-term rainfall series.
• Analysis of rainfall variability and its influence on required storage volumes.
• Development of design guidelines based on simulation outcomes.

Main Results:

• Validated the necessity of continuous, long-term simulations for accurate storage volume assessment.
• Identified key design parameters influenced by rainfall variability and antecedent conditions.
• Established a set of design rules tailored for source control measures in Flanders.

Conclusions:

• Long-term simulations are critical for optimizing the design of urban source control measures.
• The developed design rules provide a robust framework for implementing effective stormwater management in Flanders.
• Source control strategies are vital for sustainable urban water management and reducing peak runoff.