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Runoff Pollutants

Runoff Pollutants

The Global Pollutants Database allows the definition of any number of water quality constituents (pollutants). 


In order to model pollutants for a simulation, pollutants must be chosen from the 'Pollutant List' button in the 'Water Quality' dialog under Job Control. The pollutant names are used as column headings in the tabular output.

Unit

Options for concentration units are reasonably broad and broken into three categories. 

    1. mg/l (J3 - NDIM = 0). This option defines pollutant units of mg/l. If this item is selected the unit label is ignored. All parameters for which the quantity is measured as a mass should be suited to this option. Most pollutants are measurable in this unit. Although parameters such as metals, phosphorus or trace organics are often given as micrograms per litre, SWMM output is to 3 decimal places and is expected to be compatible with typical values of these parameters.
    2. 'Other'/l (J3 - NDIM = 1). Used when the pollutant has some per litre units other than mg/l. eg a bacteria count such as MPN/l. This unit accounts for pollutants defined by a count per unit volume.
    3. Other (J3 - NDIM = 2). This option covers parameters with specialised concentration-type units such as pH, conductivity (umho), turbidity (JTU), colour (PCU), temperature (C), etc. For these parameters, interpretation of concentration results is straightforward, but "total mass" or "buildup" is mostly conceptual. Since loads are transmitted in terms of concentration times flow rate, whichever concentration units are used, proper continuity of parameters is easily maintained.

Unit Label (J3 - PUNIT)

Unit used as heading for tabular output for units other than mg/l.

Daily Decay Rate (J3 - DECAY)

Decay rate of pollutant in units specified per day.

Add fraction (percent)

This flag indicates a fraction of this pollutant in the range 0.0 - 1.0 is to be added to another pollutant. Many constituents can appear in either dissolved or solid forms and may be absorbed into other constituents. To treat this situation, any constituent may be computed as a fraction ("potency factor") of another.

Fractional contributions are added after computing and summing all loads except those resulting from precipitation. The fraction added to the referenced pollutant will not, however, be removed from the current pollutant. If this flag is OFF, then none of the current pollutant is added to another.

To (J4 - F1). Reference to the pollutant to add fractional contributions to.

Fractional contributions are added after computing and summing all loads except those resulting from precipitation. However, the fraction added to the referenced pollutant will not be removed from the current pollutant.

Landuse Specific Data

Part of the pollutant data is also dependent on the landuse. The data fields should be entered, in turn, for each of the landuses highlighted.

Buildup/Washoff

A reference to the Global Database of buildup and washoff data (for the highlighted Landuse).

Linkage to Snowmelt (JX - LINKUP)

Constituent buildup during dry weather only when snow is present on impervious surface of subcatchment (for the highlighted Landuse). For instance, if chlorides are simulated, they might only be applied for street salting when snow is present but the rate of buildup will not be a function of the amount of snow. This flag will be ignored if snowmelt is not being simulated, or no buildup is specified.

Concentration in Precipitation (JX - CONCRN)

Concentration of pollutant in the precipitation (for the highlighted landuse). All runoff, including snowmelt, is assumed to have at least this concentration. The precipitation load is always added regardless of the washoff mechanism utilized. A summary of concentrations observed in rainfall is given in the following table (Brezonik, 1975)

Parameter 

Typical Range of Concentration in Rainfall

Acidity (pH) 3 - 6
Organics
BOD5 mg/l 1 - 13
CODmg/l 9 - 16
TOC mg/l 1 - 3 (a)
Inorg C mg/l 0 - 2 (a)
Color PCU 5 - 10 (a)
Solids
Total Solidsmg/l 18 - 24 (a)
Suspended Solids mg/l 2 - 10 (a)
Turbidity JTU 4 - 7 (a)
Nutrients
Org. N mg/l 0.05 - 1.0
NH3-N mg/l 0.01 - 0.04 (a)
NO2-N mg/l 0.00 - 0.01 (a)
NO3-N mg/l 0.05 - 1.0
Total N mg/l 0.2 - 1.5
Orthophosphorus mg/l 0.0 - 0.05
Total P mg/l 0.02 - 0.15
Pesticides ug/l Few
Heavy metals ug/l Few
Leadug/l 30 - 70

(a) = data for Ft. Lauderdale (Mattraw and Sherwood, 1977)

Concentration in Groundwater (J5 - GCONC)

Concentration of the pollutant in the groundwater (for the highlighted landuse).

Street Sweeping Efficiency (JX - REFF)

Fraction of the pollutant removed by street sweeping. The effect of multiple passes must be included in the value of this parameter. Removal efficiencies from a Street Cleaner path for various street cleaning programs are provided in the following table (Pitt, 1979).

Street Cleaning Program and
Street Surface
Loading Conditions

Total
Solids

BOD5CODKNPO4PesticidesCdSrCuNiCrZnMnPbFe

Vacuum Street Cleaner
20 - 200
lb/curb mile
total solids

1 pass

2 passes

3 passes

 

 

 

31

45

53

 

 

 

24

35

41

 

 

 

16

22

27

 

 

 

26

37

45

 

 

 

8

12

14

 

 

 

33

50

59

 

 

 

23

34

40

 

 

 

27

35

48

 

 

 

30

45

52

 

 

 

37

54

63

 

 

 

34

53

60

 

 

 

34

52

59

 

 

 

37

56

65

 

 

 

40

59

70

 

 

 

40

59

68

Vacuum Street Cleaner
200 - 1,000
lb/curb mile
total solids

1 pass

2 passes

3 passes

 

 

 

37

51

58

 

 

 

29

42

47

 

 

 

21

29

35

 

 

 

31

46

51

 

 

 

12

17

20

 

 

 

40

59

67

 

 

 

30

43

50

 

 

 

34

48

53

 

 

 

36

49

59

 

 

 

43

59

68

 

 

 

42

60

66

 

 

 

41

59

67

 

 

 

45

63

70

 

 

 

49

68

76

 

 

 

59

68

75

Vacuum Street Cleaner
1,000 - 10,000
lb/curb mile
total solids

1 pass

2 passes

3 passes

 

 

 

48

60

63

 

 

 

38

50

52

 

 

 

33

42

44

 

 

 

43

54

57

 

 

 

20

25

26

 

 

 

57

72

75

 

 

 

45

57

60

 

 

 

44

55

58

 

 

 

49

63

66

 

 

 

55

70

73

 

 

 

53

68

72

 

 

 

55

69

73

 

 

 

58

72

76

 

 

 

62

79

83

 

 

 

63

77

82

Mechanical Street Cleaner
180 - 1,800
lb/curb mile
total solids

1 pass

2 passes

3 passes

 

 

 

54

75

85

 

 

 

40

58

69

 

 

 

31

48

59

 

 

 

40

58

69

 

 

 

20

35

46

 

 

 

40

60

72

 

 

 

28

45

57

 

 

 

40

59

70

 

 

 

38

58

69

 

 

 

45

65

76

 

 

 

44

64

75

 

 

 

43

64

75

 

 

 

47

64

79

 

 

 

44

65

77

 

 

 

49

71

82

Flusher30(a)(a)(a)(a)(a)(a)(a)(a)(a)(a)(a)(a)(a)(a)

Mechanical Street Cleaner
followed by a Flusher

80(b)(b)(b)(b)(b)(b)(b)(b)(b)(b)(b)(b)(b)(b)

(a) 15 - 40 percent estimated
(b) 35 - 100 percent estimated

These removal values assume all the pollutants would lie within the cleaner path (0 to 8 ft. from the curb)

Initial Catchbasin Concentration (JX - CBFACT)

Initial concentration of pollutant within catchbasins (for the highlighted Landuse). Concentrations will be regenerated to this value during dry periods. The time to recharge concentrations is defined in the 'Typical Catchbasin' dialog under 'Water Quality' under Job Control.