ASSESSMENT of RESERVOIR WATER QUALITY USING NUMERICAL MODELS in by Amy Liu Chin Sia 2003 Centre for Water Research University Of
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ASSESSMENT OF RESERVOIR WATER QUALITY USING NUMERICAL MODELS in LAKE BURRAGORANG AND PROSPECT RESERVOIR IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA By Amy Liu Chin Sia 2003 Centre for Water Research University of Western Australia 1 ABSTRACT Lake Burragorang is Sydney’s most important water source and Prospect Reservoir is Sydney’s emergency water supply. The water quality in both water bodies must meet strict water quality guidelines because they serve as drinking water for over 4 million people. Lake Burragorang’s inflows have a large range of water quality entering from the seven major tributaries. There is poorer water quality in Lake Burragorang during wet years compared to dry years because of pollutant and nutrient loading from the catchment. In contrast, during dry years, internal processes act to purify the reservoir. Prospect Reservoir receives no external inflows and is highly dominated by internal processes. This study utilizes simulations to investigate the implementation of several mitigation methods to improve water quality. DYRESM-CAEDYM, a combination of a 1-D vertical mixing hydrodynamic and an aquatic ecological model served as the simulation framework. The application of bubble plume diffusers and surface mechanical mixers was simulated to evaluate reductions in nutrient concentrations in Prospect Reservoir; and to evaluate algal dynamics. A chemical-based approach was also evaluated to reduce nutrient levels in the water column by surficial sediment treatment. The evaluation of biomanipulation was also simulated for both reservoirs. An adaptive management strategy of selective withdrawal is the best option for abstracting high water quality from Lake Burragorang. For Prospect Reservoir, the mitigation methods were assessed to determine their effects on water quality. This investigation demonstrates the ability of water quality modelling in determining best management practices regarding the optimisation of water quality in drinking water reservoirs. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Heartfelt gratitude to Jose Romero, my supervisor, without whom this thesis would not have taken off the ground. My thanks for his incredible amount of patience and invaluable guidance throughout this entire thesis. Thank you, Professor Jorg Imberger, for having faith in me and finding me a thesis that I enjoyed worked on. Special thanks to Mark Nicholls, who has been by my side cheering me on, for his incredible friendship and for helping me in my thesis when I was having difficulties. Jason Antennucci, Matthew Hipsey and Penny Van Reenen from the CWR for their guide and assistance. Danny Chan, Ming Zhi Wu, Christina Young, Dina Rahman, Thaddeus Chew and Kenny Lim, special friends and fellow final year students for their selflessness and support. My mother, who is the sole reason I finished university, for being the incredible woman she is and my sister who sacrificed so much for me. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 LAKE BURRAGORANG ..........................................................................................................................................1 1.2 PROSPECT RESERVOIR..........................................................................................................................................1 1.3 DYRESM-CAEDYM ..........................................................................................................................................2 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ..........................................................................................................................................2 2.1 ARTIFICIAL DESTRATIFICATION SYSTEMS ..........................................................................................................4 2.2 ARTIFICIAL CIRCULATION ....................................................................................................................................6 2.3 SELECTIVE WITHDRAWAL....................................................................................................................................6 2.4 CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT.................................................................................................................................7 2.5 CHEMICAL BASED ALGAL CONTROL METHODS....................................................................................................8 2.6 BIOMANIPULATION...............................................................................................................................................9 2.7 OTHER METHODS................................................................................................................................................11 3 MODEL VALIDATION ..........................................................................................................................................12 3.1 LAKE BURRAGORANG –VALIDATION OF WET YEARS FROM 1998 TO 2000......................................................12 3.2 LAKE BURRAGORANG – VALIDATION OF DRY YEARS FROM 2002 - 2003........................................................14 3.3 PROSPECT RESERVOIR – VALIDATION OF CURRENT CONDITIONS FROM 2002 – 2004 .....................................16 4 METHODOLOGY....................................................................................................................................................18 4.1 INPUT DATA....................................................................................................................................................19 4.1.1 Physical data and lake morphometry ...........................................................................................................19 4.1.2 Inflow data.....................................................................................................................................................20 4.1.3 Meteorological data ......................................................................................................................................20 4.1.4 Withdrawal data............................................................................................................................................20 4.2 OUTPUT DATA................................................................................................................................................21 4.3 SIMULATION SCENARIOS ....................................................................................................................................22 4.3.1 PR1: 2002-2004 (No inflows) .......................................................................................................................22 4.3.2 LB1: 1998-2000 (Wet years with floods)......................................................................................................22 4.3.3 LB2: 2002-2004 (Dry years without floods) ................................................................................................22 4.3.4 LB3: 1998-2004.............................................................................................................................................22 4.4 DESTRATIFICATION SCENARIOS..............................................................................................................22 4.4.1 Bubble Plume Destratification – PR1 ..........................................................................................................23 4.4.2 Artificial Mixing by Surface Mechanical Mixers – PR1..............................................................................24 4.4.3 Sediment Treatment by Chemicals – PR1 ....................................................................................................26 4.4.4 Biomanipulation – LB3, PR1 ........................................................................................................................26 4.4.5 Selective Withdrawal – LB1 & LB2..............................................................................................................27 4.4.6 Catchment Management – LB3.....................................................................................................................31 4.4.7 Evaluation of effect of increased nutrient input into Lake Burragorang – LB3.........................................32 4 5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION – LAKE BURRAGORANG.............................................................................33 5.1 OUTCOMES OF SELECTIVE WITHDRAWAL STRATEGY – LB1 & LB2...............................................................33 5.2 EVALUATION OF CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT ...................................................................................................45 6 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION – PROSPECT RESERVOIR ...........................................................................62 6.1 DESTRATIFICATION BY BUBBLE PLUME AND ARTIFICIAL MIXING.....................................................................62 6.2 SEDIMENT TREATMENT BY CHEMICALS .............................................................................................................69 6.3 BIOMANIPULATION IN PROSPECT RESERVOIR ...................................................................................74 7 CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................................................78 8 REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................................79