Prediction of Water Availability in River Headwaters and Control of Facility Water Demand in Response to River Flows

by Mark Gerath, ENSR Consulting and Engineering, Acton, United States,
Tony Silva, ENSR Consulting and Engineering, Acton, United States,
Jim Bowen, ENSR Consulting and Engineering, Acton, United States,
John Sigda, ENSR Consulting and Engineering, Acton, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Engineering Hydrology

Abstract:

As part of the permitting and design of a power plant, the ability to supply cooling water subject to permit and availability constraints was investigated. As a first step, a synthetic hydrograph was estimated based upon a time series of river discharge downstream, the characteristics of the subbasin, and the point source discharger that significantly augments river discharge. The second step involved estimation of the frequency of forced facility shutdown due to insufficient water supply. This analysis treated as variables purchase of limited quantities of potable water and the quantity of stored water on site. In addition to estimating shutdown frequency, the frequency and duration of potable water purchase was calculated to facilitate cost estimation. Finally, a system for real-time monitoring of river discharge and change of facility operation in response to critical low river discharges was designed and implemented.

Subject Headings: Water supply systems | Water discharge | Water supply | Hydro power | Water demand | Rivers and streams | Power plants

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