Simulation of a storm sewer network in industrial area: comparison between models calibrated through experimental data

The purpose of this article is to test the performance of two commercial models for the simulation of sewer systems (InfoWorks, developed by Wallingford Ltd and Mouse, developed by DHI), basing on the experimental data sampled in a 1.15 ha watershed located near Bologna, Italy. The experimental catchment is part of a truck transit and parking area, completely asphalt paved and drained into a first flush tank. Hydrologic and water quality data collected for almost 8 months inside the tank have been used to calibrate the models through a trial and error procedure for both quantity and quality aspects. A sensitivity analysis for the most relevant quality-quantity parameters has also been performed, testing therefore the behaviour of these models in a small impervious watershed and their reliability as a support tool in the design phase.