Robust optimisation of combined rainwater harvesting and flood mitigation systems
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Published version
Author(s)
Soh, Qiao Yan
O’Dwyer, Edward
Acha, Salvador
Shah, Nilay
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Combined large-scale rainwater harvesting (RWH) and flood-mitigation systems are promising as a sustainable water management strategy in urban areas. These are multi-purpose infrastructure that not only provide a secondary, localised water resource, but can also reduce discharge and hence loads on any downstream wastewater networks if these are integrated into the wider water network. However, the performance of these systems is dependent on the specific design used for its local catchment which can vary significantly between different implementations. A multitude of design strategies exist, however, there is no universally accepted standard framework. To tackle these issues, this paper presents a two-player optimisation framework which utilises a stochastic design optimisation model and a competing, high intensity rainfall design model to optimise passively operated RWH systems. A customisable tool set is provided, under which optimisation models specific to a given catchment can be built quickly. This reduces the barriers to implementing computationally complex sizing strategies and encouraging more resource-efficient systems to be built. The framework was applied to a densely populated high-rise residential estate, eliminating overflow events from historical rainfall. The optimised configuration resulted in a 32% increase in harvested water yield, but its ability to meet irrigation demands was limited by the operational levels of the treatment pump. Hence, with the inclusion of operational levels in the optimisation model, the framework can provide an efficient large-scale RWH system that is capable of simultaneously meeting water demands and reducing stresses within and beyond its local catchment.
Date Issued
2023-10-15
Date Acceptance
2023-08-25
Citation
Water Research, 2023, 245
ISSN
0043-1354
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Journal / Book Title
Water Research
Volume
245
Copyright Statement
© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd. The Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2023.120532
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
120532
Date Publish Online
2023-08-27