Hydrodynamic modelling and the dispersion of water fecal contaminants in current and future climates

Isabelle Jalliffier-Verne (1) , Mourad Heniche (2) , Robert Leconte (3) , Uriel F. Alvarez Huaringa (3) , Martine Galarneau (4) , Anne-Sophie Madoux-Humery (1) , Michèle Prevost (1) , Sarah Dorner (5)

1 Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering
2 Department of Chemical Engineering
3 Department of Civil Engineering
4 Engineering department
5 NSERC Industrial Chair on Drinking Water, Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering

During precipitation events in regions with combined sewers, overflows can occur upstream of drinking water treatment plants. The purpose of the research was to model the transport and propagation of pathogens and pharmaceuticals in the Rivière Des Prairies during flood and low flow events. The water quality is quantified in terms of the behaviour of the river, the interactions of contaminants with the environment and the impacts of climate change. Hydrosim was used for hydrodynamic modeling; Dispersim was used to model the dispersion of contaminants. The impact of climate change was represented by the change of flow in the river. To do so, simulations were performed using Hydrotel, a hydrologic model applied to the Ottawa River. Thus, the impact of dispersion and diffusion of contaminants on the water quality were analyzed to determine the potential impact on raw water quality. Water quality will be affected by lower flows and heavy rains, which will change the frequency distributions of fecal contaminants upon which microbial risk models are based.

Keywords: Hydrodynamic; contamination; diffusion; water quality; climate change

Domains: Environment and Society

Isabelle Jalliffier-Verne, Mourad Heniche, Robert Leconte, Uriel F. Alvarez Huaringa, Martine Galarneau, et al.. Hydrodynamic modelling and the dispersion of water fecal contaminants in current and future climates. 13th edition of the World Wide Workshop for Young Environmental Scientists (WWW-YES-2013) - Urban waters: resource or risks?, Jun 2013, Arcueil, France. ⟨hal-00843138⟩