AccScience Publishing / AJWEP / Volume 7 / Issue 3 / DOI: 10.3233/AJW-2010-7_3_05
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Phnom Penh Sewer Modelling and Contaminant Load Estimates

Kok Sothea1* Sovann Chansopheaktra1 Kim Irvine2 Kelly Duval3
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1 Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Royal University of Phnom Penh Russian Federation Blvd., Cambodia
2 Department of Geography and Planning; and Center for Southeast Asia Environment and Sustainable Development Buffalo State, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA 14222
3 Department of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260
AJWEP 2010, 7(3), 31–38; https://doi.org/10.3233/AJW-2010-7_3_05
Submitted: 4 March 2010 | Accepted: 18 March 2010 | Published: 1 January 2010
© 2010 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
Abstract

A version of the Stormwater Management Model (PCSWMM.NET) was applied to the sewer system of central and south Phnom Penh to model storm event flows. This section of the city is serviced by two main open sewer channels, Trabek and Meanchey, and the surface drainage area for these two channels was divided into 52 sewersheds for modelling purposes. A small (27 mm), medium (76.6 mm, the most representative storm) and large (392 mm, the worst case) storm event was modelled. Model calibration was done through observation of surface flooding locations and velocity measurements in the main sewer channels during the large storm. The model tended to under-predict mean velocity, but at a planning level seems to provide reasonable flow estimates. Storm event contaminant loadings were estimated for the large storm and Cu and Cr loadings were less than, but of the same magnitude, as an entire month of dry weather discharge. The model needs to be further refined by considering certain sewer flow diversions, pumping operations, and linking it to a wetlands model.

Keywords
Stormwater management model
combined sewer system
surface flooding
metals loadings
Phnom Penh
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, Electronic ISSN: 1875-8568 Print ISSN: 0972-9860, Published by AccScience Publishing