Coupling of a distributed hydrological model with an urban storm water model for impact analysis of forced infiltration

Only few studies have attempted to couple a storm water runoff model with a distributed hydrological model even though infiltration or exfiltration processes between pipes and canals of urban runoff systems and groundwater are widely recognised. We present a fully coupled model that allows simulation of the complete urban freshwater cycle including: runoff from paved and impervious areas, flow through the runoff network, overland flow, infiltration through the unsaturated zone, evapotranspiration (at green areas), and groundwater flow in complex, urban geology. For example, at the investigated urban area at the City of Silkeborg, Western Denmark, the coupled model show that one fourth (24%) of water input to the storm water runoff systems arrives from groundwater sources. The study furthermore quantifies groundwater feedback mechanisms of forced infiltration to surface water systems by the fully coupled hydrological and urban runoff model. Three local area recharge scenarios with forced infiltration are compared with the present situation without forced infiltration. The forced infiltration impacts the local groundwater table with an average rise of up to 69. cm resulting in significant feedback from the groundwater to the runoff system via drains, overland flow and leakage of groundwater to the pipes and canals of the urban runoff network.