After completing the course participants will be able to assess alternative modelling software systems, build safe and reliable models and know how to use them for planning, design, operation and maintenance of particular urban water systems.

Learning objectives

To introduce participants to the development of safe and reliable models for cost-effective, sustainable and environmentally sound operation and management of urban water systems.

The course covers the fundamentals of modelling, and how to build and apply reliable models for water distribution networks, wastewater and storm water drainage, wastewater treatment plants and the impact on receiving streams of polluted discharges from sewage and combined sewerage overflows. Attention will also be given to the complementary role of monitoring system, GIS, databases and decision support systems.

Target group

The course is designed for professionals (engineers and scientists) active in the water sector, especially those involved in using simulation models for water distribution, wastewater and storm water networks, treatment plants and the water quality of receiving streams. Participants will be familiar with planning, design, operation and maintenance of urban water systems. Pre-requisites are a basic knowledge of hydraulics, chemistry and systems analysis.

Additional information

Safe and reliable models of urban water systems for the operation and management of such systems are of increasing importance in both developed and developing countries. The systems are becoming more and more complex, and there is growing need to treat them in an integrated manner. The choice of appropriate modelling systems is affected by what is available on the market or in the public domain, the validation of the software, the nature of the application, the problems involved and the decisions to be made, and the training and experience of the modeller(s).

This course offers an overview of the modelling process and the modelling systems available and currently in use for urban watersystems. Applications of the modelling systems are made to practical problems, such as improving the performance of systems, leakage control in water distribution networks, rehabilitation of sewerage networks, analysis of treatment works operation, and minimising the impact of sewerage overflows on receiving waters. Finally, the use of a range of supporting tools is discussed, illustrated with practical cases.

Topics covered include:

Water distribution network design and operation
Leakage control
Potable water demand management
Asset management
Wastewater collection networks
Storm water drainage systems
Combined sewerage networks
Urban flood management
Design and implementation of flow surveys
Inflow and infiltration
Rehabilitation of drainage assets
Primary, secondary and tertiary treatment methods
Activated sludge treatment
Real time operation of treatment works
Predicting performance of sewerage overflows
Receiving stream impact analysis
Availability of modelling systems
Selection of modelling system
Safe and reliable modelling
Integration with supporting tools

Through exercises participants will become familiar with at least one modelling software system for each urban water system. Visits will be made to organisations using such modelling systems.