Urbanization and climate change trends put strong pressures on urban water systems. Temporal variations in rainfall, runoff and water availability increase, and need to be compensated for by innovative adaptation strategies. One of these is stormwater retention and infiltration in open and/or green spaces in the city (blue–green water integration). This study evaluated the efficiency of three adaptation strategies for the city of Turnhout in Belgium, namely source control as a result of blue–green water integration, retention basins located downstream of the stormwater sewers, and end-of-pipe solutions based on river flood control reservoirs. The efficiency of these options is quantified by the reduction in sewer and river flood frequencies and volumes, and sewer overflow volumes. This is done by means of long-term simulations (100-year rainfall simulations) using an integrated conceptual sewer–river model calibrated to full hydrodynamic sewer and river models. Results show that combining open, green zones in the city with stormwater retention and infiltration for only 1% of the total city runoff area would lead to a 30 to 50% reduction in sewer flood volumes for return periods in the range 10–100 years. This is due to the additional surface storage and infiltration and consequent reduction in urban runoff. However, the impact of this source control option on downstream river floods is limited. Stormwater retention downstream of the sewer system gives a strong reduction in peak discharges to the receiving river. However due to the difference in response time between the sewer and river systems, this does not lead to a strong reduction in river flood frequency. The paper shows the importance of improving the interface between urban design and water management, and between sewer and river flood management.
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Research Article|
July 24 2014
Green–blue water in the city: quantification of impact of source control versus end-of-pipe solutions on sewer and river floods Available to Purchase
K. De Vleeschauwer;
K. De Vleeschauwer
1Hydraulics Division, Department of Civil Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 40, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium E-mail: [email protected]
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J. Weustenraad;
J. Weustenraad
1Hydraulics Division, Department of Civil Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 40, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium E-mail: [email protected]
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C. Nolf;
C. Nolf
2Department of Architecture, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 51, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium
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V. Wolfs;
V. Wolfs
1Hydraulics Division, Department of Civil Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 40, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium E-mail: [email protected]
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B. De Meulder;
B. De Meulder
2Department of Architecture, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 51, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium
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K. Shannon;
K. Shannon
2Department of Architecture, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 51, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium
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P. Willems
P. Willems
1Hydraulics Division, Department of Civil Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 40, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium E-mail: [email protected]
3Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Boulevard de la Plaine 2, 1050 Ixelles, Belgium
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Water Sci Technol (2014) 70 (11): 1825–1837.
Article history
Received:
February 28 2014
Accepted:
June 25 2014
Citation
K. De Vleeschauwer, J. Weustenraad, C. Nolf, V. Wolfs, B. De Meulder, K. Shannon, P. Willems; Green–blue water in the city: quantification of impact of source control versus end-of-pipe solutions on sewer and river floods. Water Sci Technol 1 December 2014; 70 (11): 1825–1837. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2014.306
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