HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-09-065 - Stormwater Pond Temperature Monitoring and Modeling StudyJ
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REPORT T0: Development and Technical Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: April 20, 2009
SUBMITTED BY: Grant K. Murphy, Director of Engineering (741-2410)
PREPARED BY: Diana Lupsa, Engineering Technologist (741-2815)
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All Wards
DATE OF REPORT: April 7, 2009
REPORT NO.: DTS-09-065
SUBJECT: STORMWATER POND TEMPERATURE MONITORING AND
MODELING STUDY
RECOMMENDATION:
For information only.
BACKGROUND:
The Stormwater Pond Temperature Monitoring and Modeling Study has been developed in
response to the recognition of a lack of empirical data and research material with respect to the
effects that stormwater management ponds have on stormwater discharge temperatures. This
issue has come to the fore in recent times in Coldwater stream catchment areas in both Guelph
and Kitchener within the Grand River Conservation Authority watershed. The results of the
study will guide municipalities and the Grand River Conservation Authority in the approval of
stormwater management facilities in order to reduce the adverse temperature effects on
receiving water bodies, such as cold water streams.
There will be three (3) funding partners involved in the study, the City of Kitchener, the City of
Guelph and the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA}. The study is to be administered
jointly by the University of Guelph and AECOM, with the work being completed by a Masters
student with direction from the advisory committee. The advisory committee will be formed with
the funding partners; Kitchener, Guelph and GRCA, along with the University of Guelph and
AECOM. This committee will advise on the direction of the monitoring and modeling to ensure
the project provides practical and substantive outcomes. The committee will be responsible for
reviewing and commenting on the annual interim and draft final reports.
REPORT:
The Stormwater Pond Temperature Monitoring and Modeling Study will monitor existing
stormwater management (SWM) ponds in Kitchener and Guelph to establish the effect that
SWM pond configurations have on stormwater discharge temperatures. Part of the work
program is to review background material on SWM pond temperature effects including peer
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reviewed papers, government reports, and monitoring data. A monitoring program will be put in
place. There will be 6-10 ponds in the City of Guelph and the City of Kitchener that will be
monitored through the summers of 2009 and 2010.
The following parameters will be monitored:
• Pond inflow temperature and depth
• Pond outflow temperature and depth
• Pond cooling trench outlet temperature monitor (if required)
• Pond stratification temperature monitor cluster (3 monitors on a weighted line at varying
depths)
Stream temperature monitors upstream and downstream of pond outfall
There will be 8-10 continuous temperature monitors and 2-3 continuous depth/flow monitors to
identify the temperature changes through the pond system and the impact on the receiving
stream reach. The frequency of sampling will depend on time of year with a higher frequency in
summer and lower frequency in winter with a frequency not to exceed one measurement every
30 minutes (every 15 minutes in summer). Stream and pond monitoring equipment will be
checked and downloaded at a minimum once each month. The ponds will be chosen based on
characteristics identified in the recently completed Stormwater Pond inventories in each City.
These will include ponds with top and bottom draw, ponds with cooling trenches and ponds with
North-South and East-West orientations.
The data collected in the monitoring component of this project will be used to refine the HSP-F
model for stormwater ponds. In particular, model parameters will be related to the design
qualities of the ponds chosen in an effort to establish the impact of these designs on pond
temperatures.
Further, to better understand the impact of cooling trenches on outlet temperatures, a heat
transfer model will be developed. It is anticipated that this will include investigating the effect of
cooling trench dimensions and other design criteria on outlet temperature.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Below are provided details regarding the total study costs:
Task # Description Cost
1 Literature Review $4000
2 Monitoring Program $16,000
3 Model Calibration and Verification $11,400
4 Technology Transfer $1,400
5 Reporting and Meetings $7,200
TOTAL BUDGET = $40,000
Each of the three funding partners (Kitchener, Guelph and GRCA} will contribute an equal share
to the total project cost (33%), with the City of Kitchener committing $13,333 over a two year
period commencing in 2009. The funding shall be directed from the City's Stormwater Audit
Account (50%) and the Development Engineering Studies Account (50%).
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COMMUNICATIONS:
A final report (Thesis) will be completed to outline the work completed for the whole project and
speak to conclusions and recommendations. In addition to the above noted deliverables, it is
anticipated that one manuscript from the monitoring data with some statistical analysis and a
second manuscript from the modeling work will be submitted for publication in a peer reviewed
journal.
CONCLUSION:
The research and conclusions from the Stormwater Pond Temperature Monitoring and Modeling
Study will help to inform technical decisions related to more effective designs for stormwater
management and in-stream thermal mitigation strategies in the future.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer
General Manager, Development and Technical Services
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