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Deltares | R&D Highlights 2015
Smart Water Management
on a regional scale
The regional water systems in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant are managed and maintained by three regional water authorities. These water systems are intersected by a canal system managed by the national water authority (Rijkswaterstaat). During long periods of intense rainfall, high flows can threaten cities and villages. The situation may become particularly serious when the water levels in the downstream water bodies are also high. Fortunately, the water authorities have several ways of controlling the water flows. The available options require close collaboration between the authorities.
With encouragement from the “Smart Water Management” programme, the water authorities decided to engage in the joint development of a decision-support system for use during crises of the kind described here. Working with consultant Witteveen + Bos, Deltares developed an operational forecasting system based on Delft-FEWS that contains innovative components such as ensemble forecasting and the optimisation of control structures.
The FEWS system contains several types of model: rainfall runoff, low- and high-resolution flow models and optimisation models. The models are forced with high-resolution precipitation radar images, numerical weather forecasts, flow forecasts from the Flanders Environment Agency and water level forecasts from Rijkswaterstaat. One innovative aspect of this system is that data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) in Reading are used four times a day to simulate an ensemble of fifty forecasts with the rainfall-runoff model and the low-resolution flow models. These forecast ensembles provide water managers with a picture of uncertainties in the weather forecasts. The high-resolution
models provide a detailed insight into the forecasted water flows and levels, and also calculate detailed flood-extent maps. The simulated water levels are corrected using observed water levels collected from the monitoring systems of the water authorities.
Another unique aspect of FEWS Brabant is that it contains optimisation models that advise on the best distribution of surplus water between the intersecting canal systems. When no other control options are available, it also suggests how to use the water-retention areas. The control of the structures is based on Model Predictive Control (MPC), which uses a system of goals and penalties to generate the best solution. The optimal structure settings are visualised alongside the regular settings to support the decision-maker.
Using the native Delft-FEWS client, decision-makers have access to all observations and model forecasts. This client also gives them access to the scenario functionality. The generated forecasts are disseminated via the shared web portal of the collaborating water authorities.
Further reading: http://www.vakbladh2o.nl/ index.php/h2o-online/recente- artikelen/entry/noord-brabantse- waterbeheerders-anticiperen-samen-op-hoogwater klaasjan.vanheeringen@deltares.nl T +31(0)88 335 8490 arnejan.vanloenen@deltares.nl T +31(0)88 335 8525
Ensemble simulations provide an understanding of uncertainties in the weather forecast
Flood Risk
