CHAPTER SIX

URBAN HYDROLOGY
6.1 Catchment Response Modifications

The changes made to a rural area by the construction of a

concentration of building have a direct effect on its surface
hydrology.
After major urban development in a catchment, the following
differences in the river flow from that of an equivalent rural catchment
can be identified.
There is a higher proportion of rainfall appearing as surface runoff,
For a specific rainfall event, the response of the catchment is
accelerated,
Flood peak magnitudes are increased,
In times of low flows, discharges are decreased
Water quality in streams and rivers draining urban area is degraded
Many of these modifications are promoted by structural changes
made to drainage channels.
The various hydrograph parameters such as peak discharge, Qp,
time to peak, tp and lag time are usually related to catchment
character.
6.2 Urban development planning
In the development of new urban centers, hydrological knowledge
of the areas is required at two stages.
The first is planning stage
The second stage of hydrological involvement occurs at the
detailing stage, the designing of storm water drainage channels
and pipes to carry the surface water in to the rivers.
6.3 Drainage design
The engineering hydrologist is fully concerned with evaluating the
runoff from sub areas to be drained in order to design the
necessary storm water sewers.
The peak runoff from the selected design storm
The size sewer pipe
At the head of the catchment sub area, the required pipe size
may be quite small,
6.3.1 Impervious areas
These comprises the roof areas and large expanses of paved
surfaces of city centers and industrial sites, in which there is very
little or even no part of the ground surface into which rainfall could
infiltrate.
Qp =CIA/360
When A is area (ha),I is intensity(mm/hr),C runoff coifficent