Document Type
Presentation
Publication Date
8-1-2014
Abstract
The impact on water resources caused by municipal wastewater discharge has become a critical and ever-growing environmental and public health problem. In order to be able to efficiently address this problem, it is important to adopt an integrated approach that includes a decrease in and control of contamination at its source. These principles have been successfully applied in the industrial sector and now these concepts are also being applied to integrated water resources management. In this context the conceptual model of the Three Steps Strategic Approach (3-SSA) was developed, consisting of: 1) minimization and prevention, 2) treatment for reuse and 3) stimulated natural self-purification. This paper is focused on the third step. The study area is the Upper Cauca river basin, which extends from the Salvajina dam to the Anacaro station (416.5 km). MIKE 11 model is used to analyze the behavior of the hydraulics (flow, velocity, depth) and quality parameters (temperature, DO, BOD) of the river. Different scenarios were modeled taking into account that the reservoir is also used for power generation and flood control. Additionally, two dynamic events associated with an eventual wastewater treatment plant (WWTP-C) failure and the water quality impact into the Cauca river due to a rainfall event (first flush effect) in the urban drainage system of Cali city have been explored. The results show also the potential of considering Step 3 of 3-SSA in the planning of investments aimed at restoring the water quality of the Cauca river for different uses.
Comments
Session R25, Eco-Hydraulic Modeling: Water Quality Aspects