A1: Urban water cycle quantification

Contact: Steen Christensen, AU

To achieve sustainable urban water systems it is an advantage to have access to a model capable of simulating the entire urban water cycle. The aim of A1 is to develop a hydrogeological model that interacts with more detailed physical process models including those developed in A3. The A1 approach will have three steps: 1) develop a methodology for identifying and ranking the site-specific dominant water cycle processes and their interactions; 2) develop a modelling system that integrates physically based models of all urban water flows (sewers, water distribution systems, surface waters, ground water); and 3) use the developed models to evaluate the hydrological consequences of introducing alternative urban water systems, e.g. recycling and reuse of storm and grey water (infiltration and direction to surface waters), interaction with buried infrastructures (pipe leakages, sewer-infiltration and exfiltration), and integration with green infrastructure (landscape elements, amenity values).

Presently (March 2008), activities in A1 include the development of a Modflow based model concept, capable of quantifying the urban water cycle on the city scale (step 2). The model concept is used to simulate the water cycle of the Copenhagen area for the period 1850-2003, and to quantify the historical impacts on the natural water cycle from urbanization and climate changes. Also, based on simple methods and data analysis, the opportunities and consequences of infiltration and delaying of storm water in the city of Odense have been analysed (Odense Mastercase).   

(Foto "Eksperimenterende by, Ole Fryd guider; EVA-Lanxmeer, Culemborg" venligst udlånt af Marina B. Jensen)