CE 552 WASTEWATER ENGINEERING

APPLICATION OF HYDROLOGIC
PRINCIPLES IN STORM SEWAGE

DAREN GUMISAD

STORM SEWER
simply

adrainor

drain

todrainexcessrainandground

systemis

designed

waterfrom

paved

streets,parking lots,sidewalks, androofs.

They are fed bystreet gutterson mostmotorways, freeways
and other busyroads, as well as towns in areas which
experience

heavy

rainfall,floodingandcoastaltowns

experience regular storms.

which

HYDOLOGIC CYCLE
Thewater cycle, also known as thehydrologic cycleor
theH2O cycle, describes the continuous movement of water
on, above and below the surface of theEarth.

TYPICAL STORM SEWAGE SYTEM

According to Division of Sewerage and Drainage

Department of Public Utilities, City of Columbus

Rational Method
The rational method shall be used to estimate runoff from
drainage areas smaller than 200 acres. Its use shall be
limited to the evaluation and design of storm sewer systems,
small open channels, swales, roadside ditches, overland flow,
shallow concentrated flow, roadway curbs, and storm sewer
inlets. Design discharge, Q is obtained from the equation:

1. Rational Method

Q = fCIA
where:
Q = Discharge in cubic feet per second
C = Coefficient of runoff
f = C value correction factor for the design storm
I = Average rainfall intensity in inches per hour
A = Drainage area in acres

2. The NRCS (SCS) Curve Number Method

The NRCS (SCS) Curve Number method, developed in
1969, partitions the total depth of rainfall into initial
abstractions, retention, and effective rainfall. This method
shall be used for areas larger than

200 acres.

The NRCS (SCS) Curve Number Method

Q=

Cn =

where:
Q = runoff depth (in)
P = rainfall (in)
S = potential maximum retention after runoff begins (in)
= 1000/CN-10,
CN = runoff curve number, and
Ia = initial abstraction (in)
= 0.2 * S

cceptable Runoff Hydrograph Development Methods

Peak flow methods are not appropriate for designing storm
water detention basins, evaluating downstream impacts on
streams, and designing major conveyances with drainage areas
larger than 200 acres. In these cases, the City requires that a
hydrograph be developed and routed through the system to
support design and/or evaluation. In addition, hydrograph methods
may be used to design other elements of the drainage system as
part of a comprehensive hydrologic/hydraulic evaluation supported
by computer models or other appropriate means. Designs using
hydrograph methods shall be accepted if the results are presented
in the format defined in the Manual for peak flow calculations.

3.1 Unit Hydrograph

A unit hydrograph is the hydrograph of direct runoff that results
from one inch of excess rainfall generated uniformly over a
watershed at a constant rate during a specified time. The City will
accept the SCS dimensionless unit hydrograph as the basis for
developing runoff hydrographs. This method uses the table at the
right, in conjunction with the following equations, to develop a unit
runoff hydrograph from each catchment for each 15 minute rainfall
increment within the SCS Type II distribution:

3.1 Unit Hydrograph

Qp =

= 0.666(tc)

where:
tp = time to peak, hours
tc = time of concentration, hours
Qp = peak flow rate from one inch of excess rainfall, cfs
Pe = excess rainfall during the 15 minute rainfall increment, in.
= total rainfall minus the abstraction to rainfall
A = watershed area, sq.mi

3.1 Unit Hydrograph

= to + (ts or td)

3.1.1 Overland Flow or Sheet Flow

to =

where:
to = Time of overland flow (hr),
n = Mannings roughness coefficient for sheet flow
L = Flow length (ft)
P2 = 2-year, 24-hour rainfall (in)
s = Slope of hydraulic grade line (land slope, ft/ft)

3.1 Unit Hydrograph

3.1 Unit Hydrograph

3.1.2 Pipe or Open Channel Flow

ts or td =

where:
ts = Travel time for shallow concentrated flow in minutes
td = Travel time for open channel or pipe flow in minutes
L = Flow length in feet
V = Velocity in fps