About

modelEAU is the research team that was built around the Canadian Research Chair on Water Quality Modelling that was granted to Dr. Peter Vanrolleghem in February 2006. The research themes of modelEAU are built around the development and use of quantitative, model-based methodologies to support decision-making that considers the receiving water quality as an important criterion. Simulation of a river system and its pollution loads (diffuse and point pollution) should allow finding the option that best serves the sustainable improvement of the river's chemical and ecological quality.

For the time being, modelEAU 's research addresses six questions (research topics with application focus are given in bold, methodological research topics are underlined):

1. To what extent do the dynamics of the urban wastewater system influence a river water's quality? Deeper insights will be gained by developing a new generation of monitoring stations for high resolution/high quality data.
2. How to guarantee reliability and accuracy of on-line data? Based on its experience in this field, modelEAU will develop new data quality evaluation tools for practical use.
3. How can the urban wastewater transport and treatment system be modelled? How does one select the most adequate model complexity, how are different submodels to be coupled, how to set up measurement campaigns, what is Good Modelling Practice?
4. How can the modelling results be used to optimize the urban water system to further reduce urban and agricultural impacts on receiving waters, e.g. by innovative, supervisory control strategies?
5. How can new, more sustainable technologies improve future wastewater transport and treatment systems?
6. How can uncertainties on our understanding of the current systems and their future development be dealt with when simulating different options to maximize the water quality of rivers.

An essential component of research and training in each of these areas is the use of mathematical models as a means to better understand and predict the complex behaviour of these systems. A modelling approach is pursued that uses water quality data collected by innovative automated measurement stations (based as much as possible on in situ sensors), and well-designed measurement campaigns. Data quality assurance methods form an important prerequisite for proper data use and this is therefore a key methodological research area. Next to optimizing sewer operation, new wastewater treatment technologies are investigated, all in view of pursuing an urban wastewater infrastructure that is consistent with a policy of sustainable development. Important model-methodological and data treatment challenges are dealt with and modelEAU is devoting considerable time to these.