Using three types of models, researchers studied mixing and water quality in an aboveground cylindrical reservoir.
Long detention times and improper mixing in tanks and reservoirs may negatively affect water quality. Mathematical and physical models of mixing and water quality dynamics may be used to determine how alternative designs or operational policies affect the quality of water within and leaving the facility. Three models—a systems model that uses a simplified representation of the reservoir emphasizing the input and output from the facility, a computational fluid dynamics model based on mathematical equations, and physical scale models of the reservoir—were applied to the Ed Heck Reservoir, a 4‐mil‐gal (0.015 X 106 m3) cylindrical reservoir in Azusa, Calif. Results of the application of each model are presented graphically along with a discussion of each model's advantages, disadvantages, and costs.
Interior sampling of a reservoir illuminates its mixing characteristics and supports the assumption of stratification or partitioning.
An extensive sampling study of reservoir water quality was conducted in Azusa, Calif. Primary emphasis was placed on providing a better understanding of the dynamics of hydraulic mixing and free chlorine residual concentration distribution in the reservoir. The reservoir approached completely mixed behavior with two exceptions: a degree of short‐circuiting between the inlet and outlet (which significantly affected the T10 time) and the presence of a stagnant zone in the center core of the reservoir where there was less mixing and thus older water. These results support the assumption of stratification or partitioning in reservoirs. Regular field sampling is recommended to facilitate the effective management of distribution system water quality. In particular, interior sampling of reservoirs can provide useful information that could not be inferred otherwise.
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