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Software, Data and Modelling News

A new applications manual for the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM)

Jorge Gironas a,*, Larry A. Roesner b, Lewis A. Rossman c, Jennifer Davis d

a Departamento de Ingeniera Hidraulica y Ambiental, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Av. Vicuna Mackenna 4860, Santiago, Chileb Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523-1372, USAc National Risk Management Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USAd United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, Hydrologic Engineering Branch, Hydrology Section, Omaha, NE, 68102-4901, USA

a r t i c l e i n f o

Article history:

Received 29 August 2009

Received in revised form

10 November 2009

Accepted 19 November 2009

Available online 6 December 2009

Keywords:

SWMM

Application manual

Stormwater

Urban drainage

Computer model

a b s t r a c t

The EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) is a widely used program for simulating urban runoff

quantity and quality. Its existing documentation includes a Users Manual that describes how to run the

program and a Reference Manual that covers its theory and algorithms. A new manual, the SWMM

Applications Manual, has been added to this collection. It contains nine worked-out examples

addressing common stormwater management and design problems encountered in practice. The manual

will be especially useful for new SWMM users who need additional guidance in applying this powerful

tool to urban drainage design and analysis.

2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Software availability

SWMM 5.0 Applications Manual: An applications manual with

examples illustrating how SWMM 5.0 can be used to model

common stormwater management and design problems

encountered in practice.

Name of the tool: Storm Water Management Model Applications

Manual.

Authors: Jorge Gironas, Larry A. Roesner, Jennifer Davis.

Contact information as defined in the paper. Year first available:

2009.

Contact address: National Risk Management Research Laboratory,

US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268,

USA.

Software required: EPA SWMM5 (available from the same source asthis manual), and a PDF reader software. Number of pages: 179

pp. Total size: 5.5 Mb. Zip file includes the manual in PDF format

and the computer files.

Availability and cost: http://www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/models/

swmm/index.htm, free of charge.

1. Introduction

The EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) is

a dynamic rainfall-runoff model used for single event or long-term

simulation of runoff quantity and quality from primarily urban

areas (Rossman, 2009). The model is widely used for planning,

analysis and design related to drainage systems in urban areas

(Rossman, 2009). SWMM5, the newest version of the model,

provides an integrated Windows environment for editing input

data, running simulations, and viewing the results in the form of

thematic maps, graphs, tables, profile plots and statistical reports.

SWMM5 has modernized both the models structure and its user

interface, making SWMM easier to use and more accessible to

a new generation of engineers and water resources specialists,although is too complex to be used by the general public or plan-

ners with no modelling experience (Elliotta and Trowsdale, 2007).

Previous documentation recently updated for the program

included a Users Manual (Rossman, 2009) that describes how to

build and analyze a SWMM model using the programs Graphical

User Interface, and a Reference Manual (Rossman and Huber, in

preparation) that covers the theory and algorithms behind the

programs computations. What was missing from this set of docu-

mentation was an applications manual that would show users

(particularly new ones) in step-by-step fashion how to use this

powerful and free computer model to solve typical urban drainage* Corresponding author. Tel.: 56 2 354 4227; fax: 56 2 354 5876.E-mail address: jgironas@ing.puc.cl (J. Gironas).

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Environmental Modelling & Software

j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / e n v s o f t

1364-8152/$ see front matter 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2009.11.009

Environmental Modelling & Software 25 (2010) 813814

http://www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/models/swmm/index.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/models/swmm/index.htmmailto:jgironas@ing.puc.clhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13648152http://www.elsevier.com/locate/envsofthttp://www.elsevier.com/locate/envsofthttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13648152mailto:jgironas@ing.puc.clhttp://www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/models/swmm/index.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/models/swmm/index.htm

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problems. Such a manual has finally been written and now it is

available for the SWMM5 community.

2. The manual

The manuals purpose is to provide a practical application guide

for SWMM userswho already have a basic background in hydrology

and hydraulics. It contains nine worked-out examples, along with

their associated SWMM input files, that illustrate how SWMM can

be used to model some of the most common stormwater

management and design problems encountered in practice. All the

examples are developed for the same watershed and each one

builds on the results of the previous ones. The first five examples

illustrate basic applications of the model; and the next four address

more advanced topics such as runoff treatment, continuous simu-

lation, combined system overflows and pipe flooding. The exam-

ples and the topics included in the manual are:

1. Post-Development Runoff illustrates how one sets up a study

area and develops the required input data to compute runoff

for several design-storm events for both pre- and post-devel-

opment conditions.

2. Surface Drainage Hydraulics shows how to represent a simpleconveyance network in a developed catchment using SWMMs

various hydraulic routing options to route runoff flows through

this network.

3. Detention Pond Design demonstrates how to design a deten-

tion pond that achieves both water quality control and peak

flow reduction goals.

4. Low Impact Development shows how SWMM can simulate

two common types of LID controls: filter strips and infiltration

trenches.

5. Runoff Water Quality illustrates how to model the buildup,

washoff and routing of total suspended solids (TSS) within

a developed watershed.

6. Runoff Treatment shows how to simulate removal of TSS in

both infiltration LIDs and detention ponds.

7. Dual Drainage Systems shows how SWMM can model

a parallel system of street gutters and below-ground pipes

subjected to surcharged flow and street flooding.

8. Combined Sewer Overflows demonstrates how to represent

a combined sewer system, including the flow regulators and

pump stations used to control them.

9. Continuous Simulation shows how to set up SWMM to

perform a long-term continuous simulation and use its statis-

tical tools to analyze the results.

References

Elliotta, A.H., Trowsdale, S.A., 2007. A review of models for low impact urban

stormwater drainage. Environmental Modelling and Software 22 (3),394405.

Rossman, L.A., 2009. Storm Water Management Model Users Manual Version 5.0.EPA/600/R-05/040, National Risk Management Research Laboratory. UnitedStates Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Rossman, L.A., Huber, W.C., Storm Water Management Model Version 5.0.Reference Manual. National Risk Management Research Laboratory,United States Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio. inpreparation.

J. Gironas et al. / Environmental Modelling & Software 25 (2010) 813814814