Urban Hydrology
Urban Hydrology
Management
iWater_3rd International Event
Juan Jose Galan Vivas (Aalto University)
OBJECTIVES of the LECTURE
• Provide the basics to understand the hydraulic factors and variables involved in Urban
Storm water management
• Understand the main Design Issues and Goals on Urban Storm Water Management
• Get familiar with the runoff calculation systems and develop a very simple guided exercise
CONTENTS of the LECTURE
1. BASIC CONCEPTS
2. STORMWATER PLANNING AND DESIGN ISSUES (Ecosystem Services)
3. DESIGN PROCEDURES
4. RUNOFF CALCULATIONS and GUIDED EXERCISE
5. CONCLUSIONS
1. BASIC CONCEPTS
1.1.Precipitacion & Runoff
“Precipitation occurs as rainfall, snowfall or mixtures of each…. For site planning and design, stormwater
management focuses on the estimation of runoff from rainfall” (Harris, C. W; Dines, N. T.; Sykes, R. D.; Brown, K. D.; 1998)
“Major system is used whenever the minor system is exceeded (25, 50, 100, 500 year storm)…. When .
Runoff flows exceeds the minor system, it takes an alternative route through the landscape. Watersheds
that have major structures and populations located in the flow path of the major system are subject to major
flood damage… Flood studies produce maps produce maps designating official fllod hazard areas expected
to be inundated by the 100 year and 5000 year event” (Harris, C. W; Dines, N. T.; Sykes, R. D.; Brown, K. D.; 1998)
http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/lessons/files/2013/05/10-728-How-A-Watershed-Works.jpg http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/nrcs144p2_014635.jpg
Soils and Infiltration: Soil type is the principal determinant of infiltration (gravel > sand > silt > clay…)
Impervious paved surfaces block the infiltration capacity of the soils. Urban soils can lose their inflitartion
capacity due to compaction (adapted from Harris, C. W; Dines, N. T.; Sykes, R. D.; Brown, K. D.; 1998)….. KEEPING OR IMPROVING
THE INFILTRATION CAPACITY OF SOILS?
Moisture conditions: Wet surfaces produce more runoff than dry surfaces(adapted from Harris, C. W; Dines, N. T.; Sykes,
R. D.; Brown, K. D.; 1998), Wet soils infiltrate less water than dry soils
Slope: Rain falling on flatter slopes has more time to infiltrate than rainfall falling on steep slopes. Slope
affects the volume of runoff and the risk of erosion… AVOID IMPERVIOUSNESS IN STEEP SLOPES
Runoff and Run-on + Disconnected Imperviousness (left); (Time-Saver Standards for Landscape Architecture”, Harris, C. W; Dines, N. T.)
summary: A watershed with steep slopes, tight soils, high imperviousness and moist, simple surfaces will
produce far more runoff that the same size watershed with flat slopes, coarse soils, no imperviousness, dry,
complex surfaces (e.g.: layered plant communities) and maximized disconnected imperviousness (adapted from
Harris, C. W; Dines, N. T.; Sykes, R. D.; Brown, K. D.; 1998)
Volume of flow (Qvol): Total volume of flow for a period of time (m3)
Hydrograph: It is a summary of storm water flows. It can be expressed in tabular form (discharges at
specific times) or a graph plot (discharge versus time). In the case of a graph, the area under the curve plot
is the total volume of plot for the plot period
Hydrograph (table and graph plot); (Time-Saver Standards for Landscape Architecture”, Harris, C. W; Dines, N. T.)
Frequency (or Return Period): Probability of recurrence of one event that produces a rainfall depth
(typically in years)
• Rainfall for a 10 years period: 10% probability of exceeding that rainfall depth in any year
• Rainfall for a 100 years period: 1% probability of exceeding that rainfall depth in any year
• Rainfall for a 500 years period: 0,5% probability of exceeding that rainfall depth in any year
Intensity: rate at which the rain falls expressed in millimeters per hour (mm/hour). In design storms the
Intensity is the average intensity for the duration
https://thecriticalflow.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/london-idf-mm.png
Inner dike water safety risk 2100 (Rotterdam Climate Change Adaptation Strategy)
Harris County´s current floodplains Water height maps for different return periods
(Harris County Flood Control District, Texas, USA) Local scale risk assessment for coastal flooding in island countries (Leiska Powell and Cees van Westen, 2015)
. .
The total risk may be decreased by reducing the size of any one or more of the three contributing
variables, the hazard, the elements exposed and/or their vulnerability. The reduction of any one of the
three factors to zero consequently would eliminate the risk. (source: Australian Government, Geoscience Australia)
vulnerability: the degree of loss resulting from the occurrence of the phenomenon
Hazard, vulnerability and risks to natural disasters in Colombia (C.J. van Westen, University of Twente, Netherlands)
Hazard, vulnerability and risks to natural disasters in Colombia (C.J. van Westen, University of Twente, Netherlands)
• Sediments and erosion: delivers the largest load of pollutants into water bodies that receive runoff
• Oxygen demand: Dissolved oxygen (DO) is essential to maintain life in water bodies. The most common cause of
depletion of DO is excessive nutrients loads delivered to the water body.
• Nutrients: Major contributor to surface water quality degradation (Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus from fertilizers)
• Heavy metals e.g. Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn)
• Chemical contaminants: e.g. Chlorine from potable water
• Pathogens: e.g. fecal coliform bacteria
• Thermal pollution: e.g. In summer, unshaded impervious surfaces can have air and ground temperatures 5-7 degrees
higher that vegetated areas
c) Water Supply
d) Wildlife Habitat: Urbanization can change the availability and quality of water needed to sustain habitat.
It tends to reduce or eliminate base flow. In such cases the original species are replaced by others more
adapted to the new regime
e) Quality of Life: Water bodies and are regarded as positive attributes of places to live and work. They
provide open view and vistas, cultural values and increase real estate market values
Time Savers for Landscape Architecture (Harris, C. W; Dines, N. T.; Sykes, R. D.; Brown, K. D.; 1998)
Post development runoff analysis must be made at the same points or edges
EXISTING Peak discharge and Volume on outlet FUTURE Peak discharge and Volume on outlet (for the same
(for a specified Design Storm) specified Design Storm)
The Small Storm Hydrology WQV Method permits an easy conversion of rainfall in runoff (Volume and Peak
Discharges) for small storms and for water quality treatment. It requires the following Data:
- Design Rainfall event = P (m)
- Total Area (hectares) and Areas covered with different surfaces (hectares)
- Type of soil: (sandy or silty-clayey)
- Weighted volumetric runoff Coefficient (use table 1)
- Weighted area = Rv (m2)
- Coefficient for Disconnected Impervious Surfaces (use table 2)
TABLE.1
TABLE.2