Water Resources Engineering - Homepage Usask

G3. WATER QUALITY MODELING
(KUL-code: I882 (Th); I883 (Pr))
Lecturer: JOLANKAI G. / VAN DER BEKEN A.
ECTS-credit: 5 pts
Contact hours: 30 hrs. of theory/30 hrs. of practical
Prerequisites: Hydraulics (C5), Mathematics for water engineering (C2), Water quality and treatment
(C10), Information technology (W1)
Time and place: 1 st semester, 13 sessions of 3 hours each, VUB
Course syllabus: Lecture notes (+ teaching software WQMCAL and its manual)
Evaluation: Quotation of exercises (1/2) and presentation and discussion of an individual project (1/2)
(detailed test and calculation exercises)
Comparable handbook: De Smedt, F., 1989. Introduction to river water quality modeling. Hydrology-VUB, no.
16
Additional information: A comprehensive book (844 pages) was published, fairly recently, on this topic, which
the students might use as additional information (extra learning tool): Chapra S.C.
(1997) Surface Water Quality Modelling, McGraw-Hill Civil Engineering Series
Learning objectives:
The basic learning objective is to get the students acquainted with the basics of water quality modelling, that is
to get knowledge on the basic transport and transformation processes on which the water quality models (all
models) are based. This knowledge is (would be) unconditionally needed in using any commercially available
model software and even more so in developing models for special purposes, to suit special tasks.
More specific objectives include:
General understanding of the system’s approach to managing the aquatic environment (with the meaning that a
tool describing the response of aquatic systems to natural and anthropogenic inputs is needed to enable the
efficient management of the water-environment). Another special objective is to help understand the basic
principles of Integrated Catchment Management and of Integrated Water Resources Management. Another
important objective is to teach the basic principles of the novel “ecohydrological” approach to managing water
resources (with the meaning that the improvement of the aquatic and ecotone ecosystems by the appropriate
hydrological control means, can help solving other water resources management problems of the same
catchment). The very specific objective of the course is to enable students to see (through the use of the
computer aided learning tool WQMCAL) the models in work and carry out a series of management-planning
exercises (a kind of simulation of the actual work in managing the aquatic environment and assessing
environmental impacts)
The course contributes to the achieving of the objectives of the IUPWARE course in the following items:
- A strong emphasis is laid on the Integrated Catchment Management concept (and not only on its modelling
implications) and thus it deals with the interactions of the society and the water systems;
- It deals with the modelling of water systems, mostly but not only regarding its water quality aspects;
- It teaches the basic principles and tools of planning the management of the aquatic environment and along
with it that of an integrated water system;
- It will teach the basic management aspects of water systems, with special regard to pollution control;
- It teaches the basic principles and tools of environmental impact assessment (the water and environmental
engineering, but not the legal-administrative part of it).
Course description:
The aim of the course is to provide insight in the structure and application of water quality models for rivers and
lakes (more details of the objectives are given above).
The major lecture topics are as follows:
Advanced studies in Water Resources Engineering / 27