Modeling of Hydrodynamics and Dilution in Coastal Waters

Abstract

Sea outfall systems are preferred to refinery systems because of the assimilation capacity of the sea as an economical choice. If sea outfall systems are chosen, the location of the sea outfall is critical for preventing the return of wastewater to the coastal zone and recovery back into an ecosystem. On the basis of the regulation of water pollution control, bacterial concentration needs to be below a certain value in the protected area. The primary effects on dilution are coastal currents generated by wind and transport of wastewater in closed or semi-closed coastal regions, as found in Turkey. Accurate predictions of wind and wave climates and currents are critical in sea outfall planning. In this study, the wind climate is determined from the data provided by the Edremit and Ayvalık Meteorological Stations and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts operational archive at the coordinates of 39.50° N–26.90° E. Wind, wave, and current roses are prepared by HYDROTAM-3D. CORMIX was used for the near-field dilution, and HYDROTAM-3D, a three-dimensional hydrodynamic transport model, was used for the far-field dilution of the pollutant. The results of near-field and far-field dilution modeling show that the sea outfall of Edremit–Zeytinli meets the legal regulations.