Impacts of Upstream Input and Local Pollution Loads on the Water Quality of Suzhou Creek Based on Mathematical Models

Abstract

Suzhou Creek, a river in Shanghai of China, was severely polluted several years ago. Since the Suzhou Creek Environmental Rehabilitation Project was launched in 1998, its water quality has been improved substantially. The “black and stink” phenomenon has almost been eliminated. However, the upstream input and local pollution loads are significantly affecting the water quality of Suzhou Creek. As for these two factors, some heated debates on which one has a greater impact never stop. This work was to quantitatively analyze and forecast the impacts of the two influential factors based on both USGS's FEQ and USEPA's WASP models. The data from the Third Trial Low Flow Augmentation on Suzhou Creek in 1999 and other monitoring results were used to calibrate and verify the model parameters. Based on mathematical model, the impacts of upstream input and local pollution loads were analyzed; furthermore, the water quality of Suzhou Creek was predicted based on the assumption that the upstream quality was improved b...