Research Hydrology and Water Management - Urban Catchments (Research Paper Sample)

Hydrology and water management - urban catchments
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Hydrology and water management - urban catchments
Darebin Creek is the main watercourse of Darebin Valley. It is the source of livelihood for the Wurundjeri people. It is a major tributary of Yarra River as well, and maintenance of natural hydrologies around and along it is imperative. The Darebin Creek is more than 50 km in length. The catchment drain an area that is approximately 230 kilometers most of which is urban (Stormwater and the Darebin Creek, 2013). There is a great deal pollution originating from storm water carried through pipes from households and industrial buildings. Stormwater is rain water or melted snow that eventually flows into the streams and rivers. Water in classical ran over control, run into storm drains, sewer system, and drainage ditches. Since stormwater eventually gets to downstream, Poor management of waste water may result in downstream flooding, stream/riverbank erosion, Turbidity, alteration of stream/river flow hydrograph and combined sewer overflow. Traditional methods of managing stormwater were aimed at collecting such water and transporting it through pipes to a place where they can cause little or no harm to either the environment or habitats. Such areas of destination included rivers, basins, and wastewater treatment plant.
The urban area and storm water
Metropolitan area is abundant with impervious surfaces that include the road, car parks, and buildings. This reduces the rate at which stormwater is absorbed back to the ground. The influx of storm water inflow from urban areas to rivers is faster for the combined reasons of lack of vegetation and impermeability of the surface. This high flow of water inflow into the rivers, in this case, the Creek is potential cause floods, endangering aquatic ecosystem and negatively impacting on the users of the creek.
The impacts of urbanization on the creek
Urbanization increases the proportion of connected imperviousness. Connected imperviousness (CI) is the percentage of an area covered with impervious surfaces connects to the stream by drainage pipes. The higher the CI, the greater the risks the river is exposed to the high concentration of nutrients of nutrients and contaminants. This increases the dominance of resistance species resulting in ecological imbalances. The impervious grounds that resulted from urbanization are now 10% and the influx rate into the Darebin River has increased twofold compared to pre urbanized time.
Before the development of most towns, most of the regions surrounding The Creek were permeable, and there were minuscule rates of influx. The pollutants carried by the water were minimal to cause any alteration to the ecological balance to Darebin. More than 70% pollutants in Darebin are carried there by storm water.
Urbanization has also caused the reduction of base inflow since after entering the river after direct contact with the soil has been reduced by the piping. This has had a positive impact on the levels of dissolved oxygen variation. The regularity of floods since rainfall now enters the river at a fast rate through urban piping. A Little rain is also required to cause floods since the rate at which water is absorbed back into the ground has been reduced by impermeability caused by urbanization.
The effects flow alteration as caused by urbanization can be abated if the water from the impervious area can be slowed down before getting to Darebin. Rainwater from the roof tops could also be collected and recycled. A rain garden is not a common phenomenon in the area that the Creek drain but yet can help slow down the influx. Rain gardens filter the rain water and when well managed cause faster infiltration of storm water into the earth.
Wet Whether Green infrastructure Low Impact treatment Developments seek to minimize the effects of stormwater on the environment by controlling the source of runoff and landscape planning. LID focuses on the restoration of natural watersheds through slight alteration of runoff water source. A hydrologically functioning cities is developed in a manner that mimics pre-development conditions. It is relatively cheap compared to most existing remedies. Wet Whether Green Infrastructure, on the other hand, involve the use of relevant technologies to capture, treat and reuse storm water with a motive of restoring or maintaining natural hydrologies.
Effluent management at ETP
Since stormwater carries a great deal of contaminates and sewerage overflows, it is important the impact of such impurities on the ecosystem is managed. Eastern treatment plant aims at reducing the impact on the marine ecosystem at the point where treated water is discharged. The plant also produces high-quality recycled water that could be used for various purposes including domestic. The plant is periodically upgraded according to the advancement of technology and new needs as they may arise. The biggest challenge faced by the operators and stakeholders is the amounts of ammonia that significantly affect the marine life at the point where they are released. The plant has made ne...