New approaches for localizing and eliminating sources of extraneous water
As part of a research and development project, the town of Leichlingen – represented by the Municipal Wastewater Utility – intends to carry out a study on the model-assisted localization and elimination of sources of extraneous water contributing to the wastewater load of sanitary sewers. The catchment of the Weltersbach trunk sewer is to be examined as an example. A corresponding project application made in November 2004 has now been approved by the Ministry for Environment and Conservation, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (MUNVL) of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and by the district government of Cologne. The project work undertaken and centrally coordinated by our firm will benefit from cooperation with several supervisory authorities and municipalities. During the ongoing project it will therefore be possible to establish a link to experiences in comparable problem areas.
The proposed project has two objectives:
1. Improving the time and cost efficiency of measures for the localization of sources of extraneous water (reducing both the number and duration of measurements)
2. Providing a non-polluting, technically and economically favourable solution for eliminating sources of extraneous water
To this end, a mathematical model system will be set up using software available on the market. This system will simulate the main processes taking place in the surface and underground catchment of a sewer system and can therefore be used as a tool for planning and decision making. The model system is made up of the following interconnected components:
• underground drainage system (sewers and drain system)
• surface drainage system in the catchment of the underground drainage system (watercourses / ditches carrying water temporarily / lakes / ground depressions receiving water temporarily)
• Soil water and groundwater storage areas in the catchment of the underground drainage system