Review of Urban Stormwater Quality Models: Deterministic, Stochastic, and Hybrid Approaches¹

Abstract

The growing impact of urban stormwater on surface‐water quality has illuminated the need for more accurate modeling of stormwater pollution. Water quality based regulation and the movement towards integrated urban water management place a similar demand for improved stormwater quality model predictions. The physical, chemical, and biological processes that affect stormwater quality need to be better understood and simulated, while acknowledging the costs and benefits that such complex modeling entails. This paper reviews three approaches to stormwater quality modeling: deterministic, stochastic, and hybrid. Six deterministic, three stochastic, and three hybrid models are reviewed in detail. Hybrid approaches show strong potential for reducing stormwater quality model prediction error and uncertainty. Improved stormwater quality models will have wide ranging benefits for combined sewer overflow management, total maximum daily load development, best management practice design, land use change impact assessment, water quality trading, and integrated modeling.

A Review of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems Considering the Climate Change and Urbanization Impacts

“…For example, Knapp, Durgunoglu and Ortel [89] reviewed current rainfall-runoff modelling methods for stormwater management based on e.g., model inputs, applications and modelling procedures. Obropta and Kardos [91] assessed three approaches (deterministic, stochastic and hybrid) to stormwater quality modelling and showed that the hybrid approaches are more promising to reduce model prediction error and uncertainty. Zoppou [87] reviewed 12 models (DR3 M-QUAL, HSPF, MIKE-SWMM, QQS, STORM, SWMM, SWMM Level 1, the Wallingford Model, BRASS, HEC-5Q, QUAL2E-UNCAS and WQRRS) for stormwater quantity and quality simulation and summarized their strengths and limitations in terms of their functionality, accessibility and modelling approaches for water quantity and quality components, and spatial and temporal scales.…”

Evolutionary and Holistic Assessment of Green-Grey Infrastructure for CSO Reduction

“…In accordance to Obropta and Kardos [45] stormwater models are particularly useful for CSO management, BMP evaluation, and the assessment of impacts of land use changes. The present work uses the USEPA's hydrodynamic model Storm Water Management Model (SWMM).…”

Evaluation of the Performance and the Predictive Capacity of Build-Up and Wash-Off Models on Different Temporal Scales

“…Numerous modeling approaches for pollutant generation and transport exist and are detailed and compared in several reviews [1,31,32]. These reviews classify stormwater quality models based on modeling approaches, process description, and spatial and temporal scales ( Table 2).…”