Water Quality Modeling : A Guide to Effective Practice

This report serves as a guide to the
utility and relevance of water quality prediction modeling.
It draws upon examples from recent World Bank water
resources and wastewater management projects. The goal of
the guide is to provide a broad-based understanding of the
water quality prediction process and to evaluate the
relative merits and cost-effectiveness of using water
quality models under field conditions. The guide build on
and revises the chapter on water quality modeling prepared
for the World Bank's "Pollution Prevention and
Abatement Handbook, 1998 (report no. 19128)." The guide
comprises five sections. Chapter 1 provides a general
overview of the use of water quality models, including the
objectives of water quality modeling, the approach to water
quality prediction, the costs of modeling processes, and the
general components of typical water quality models. Chapter
2 discusses the most common water quality parameters that
are modeled, the receiving water processes, quality
assurance and control for the water quality data and model
predictions, and the required model resources. Chapter 3
describes generic components of water quality models. Some
prediction models are then discussed, with detailed
summaries of these models presented in an Appendix. Chapter
4 summarizes the present uses of water quality models and
recent Bank development projects that used water quality
models. Chapter 5 discusses the model data requirements and
prediction issues.