Non-Point Sources (NPS) PoUution Modelling and Water Quality Improvement Using Wetland

• Main Author: Ab Karim, Rosnita Binti
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Teknologi Petronas 2008
• Subjects: TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
• Online Access: http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/7334/1/2008%20-%20Non-point%20sources%20%28NPS%29%20pollution%20modelling%20and%20water%20quality%20improvement%20using%20wetland.pdf; http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/7334/

Sustainability of water quality for urban ecosystem is a great concern in Malaysia nowadays. Recent studies demonstrate significant increase in river pollution in part contributed by non-point sources pollution which occurs when an area becomes urbanized. The objectives of this project are to (a) determine the water quality originating from Sungai Darnansara catchment, (b) predict the performance of wetland as a stormwater treatment measure in protecting the receiving waters by using model simulation, and (c) compare the results from the predicted model against results from a laboratory-scale wetland. The method used in solving this problem is based on computer modelling with input data collected from the field. The model used in this project is the Model for Urban Stormwater Improvement Conceptualisation (MUSIC), which was developed by Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology (CRC-CH) in Australia. The scope of the simulation study is to predict the pollution loads of Total Suspended Solid (TSS), Total Nitrogen (TN) and Total Phosphorus (TP) and also the pollutants reduction using wetland in Sungai Darnansara catchment. Based on the data collected and water quality modeling, the downstream part of the catchment can be classified as Class IV. According to DOE and DID data, the Water Quality Index for the same part was also Class IV, which proved that this model can also be used in tropical countries. In order to achieve a Water Quality Objective (WQO) of Class II, water quality improvement by intervening wetlands was predicted and the percentage reduction was determined. A laboratory-scale wetland was constructed and tested in the laboratory. The results of pollutants reduction by the laboratory-scale wetland were compared with the result obtained from the computer model. The results from both systems were found to be comparable. TSS, TP and TN were reduced by 51.7%, 51.4% and 51.4% in MUSIC and by 56.9%, 43.6% and 44.3% in the laboratory respectively. The difference between the two systems is less than I 0%. The outcome of this project is expected to be able to overcome the water quality issues arising from urban ecosystem.