GIS-based simulation of urban sewerage flow volume

Abstract

A GIS-based sewerage flow simulation and management system, which refers to a conventional combined sewerage (wastewater and stormwater) flow model, has been developed for use in the Sindang drainage district of Seoul. The system is designed for times when wastewater and stormwater are discharged via the same drainage pipe network and sewerage treatment works, the latter being bypassed during rain storm events and after high discharge events (e.g. a thaw after heavy winter snow). A chain topology generator was developed and deployed in collaboration with relational database spatial search and retrieval functions integrated by expert knowledge. Sewerage flow volume simulations for all pipelines allowed the calculation of preferable pipe sizes for calculated volumes under assumed conditions and thus the identification of pipes most prone to cause flooding if sewerage flow volumes increase due to redevelopment/population increase. The potential to produce information that can be used in decision-making support for redevelopment in any city with a similar wastewater drainage system can be assumed.