EPA to host water quality modeling webinars

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Water Modeling Workgroup is hosting a series of webinars to help water quality professionals better understand surface water quality modeling and how models can be used to solve common problems that face water quality regulators. The webinars are focused on modeling as it applies to the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), Standards, and Water Quality Permitting Programs, but they are applicable to a wide range of audiences. These two-hour webinars cover everything from modeling basics (e.g., model setup and calibration) to applied water quality modeling of different pollutants.

This webinar, titled “EPA’s Storm Water Management Model (SWMM)”, is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 12 pm Eastern.  This webinar will introduce the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM).  SWMM is used throughout the world for planning, analysis, and design related to stormwater runoff, combined and sanitary sewers, and other drainage systems in urban areas. There are many applications for drainage systems in non-urban areas as well.

SWMM is a dynamic hydrology-hydraulic water quality simulation model. It is used for single event or long-term (continuous) simulation of runoff quantity and quality from primarily urban areas. The runoff component operates on a collection of sub-catchment areas that receive precipitation and generate runoff and pollutant loads. The routing portion transports this runoff through a system of pipes, channels, storage/treatment devices, pumps, and regulators.

SWMM tracks the quantity and quality of runoff made within each sub-catchment. It tracks the flow rate, flow depth, and quality of water in each pipe and channel during a simulation period made up of multiple time steps. SWMM 5 has been extended to model the hydrologic performance of specific types of low impact development (LID) controls.

Registration is required and is available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/epas-storm-water-management-model-swmm-tickets-42467853493.

Previous webinars are available at https://www.epa.gov/waterdata/surface-water-quality-modeling-training.