Delineation of contamination spread potential over extended time modeling

F. J C Bouchart, P. W. Jowitt, S. J. Cavill

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

    1 Citation (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Scottish Institute of Sustainable Technology, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK The delineation of contamination spread is a critical task in responding to an emergency involving water quality. Conventional modeling techniques can be used to trace the movement of a contaminant through a distribution network. However, this trace is valid only for the demand load specified in the extended time simulation. If the actual demand loads across the network change as a result of, for example, a public health notice, then the actual spread of the contaminant may be significantly different - making containment much more difficult. The connectivity matrix approach overcomes this problem of limited real-time knowledge of demands, yielding a delineation of the spread potential consistent with the cautionary principle of starting with the worst possible scenario. One remaining challenge to the use of the connectivity modelis that the matrix is defined for a single point in time, whereas contamination spread is time dependent. The current paper presents two alternative methods to address changes in the connectivity over time. The first of these methods relies on the convolution of connectivity matrices over time, while the second approach relies on a decay mechanism to transition from one connectivity matrix to the next.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationProceedings of the 2004 World Water and Environmetal Resources Congress: Critical Transitions in Water and Environmental Resources Management
    Pages4723-4730
    Number of pages8
    Publication statusPublished - 2004
    Event2004 World Water and Environmental Resources Congress: Critical Transitions in Water and Environmental Resources Management - Salt Lake City, UT, United States
    Duration: 27 Jun 20041 Jul 2004

    Conference

    Conference2004 World Water and Environmental Resources Congress: Critical Transitions in Water and Environmental Resources Management
    Country/TerritoryUnited States
    CitySalt Lake City, UT
    Period27/06/041/07/04

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