---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CIVL 4100B Environmental Systems Analysis, Fall 2014, HW 5

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Due: 28 November 2014, Friday, during lecture

A river has 5 reaches of certain lengths. On average, the temperature of the water in the river is
20oC. As shown in the figure below, Polluter A is located at the top of Reach 1, Polluter B at the
top of Reach 3 and Polluter C at the top of Reach 5. At present, due to the lack of regulations, the
polluters are discharging untreated BOD into the river. The polluters are also withdrawing water
from the river, just before their respective points of discharge, each at the same flow rate as its
discharge.
At the top of Reach 4 is the town of Eee that withdraws water from the river at a rate of 10 m3/s to
supplement its supply of drinking water. At the top of Reach 2, a tributary enters the river. Just
upstream of the point of entry, the stream flow of the tributary is 20 m3/s, BOD concentration 10
mg/L and DO deficit 3 mg/L. Also, just upstream of Reach 1 where Polluter A withdraws water,
the flow rate of the river is 200 m3/s, BOD concentration 5 mg/L and DO deficit 2 mg/L.

BOD concentration = 5 mg/L

DO deficit = 2 mg/L
Stream flow = 200 m3/s
Eee

Reach 1
30 km

Polluter B
Reach 2
25 km

Withdrawal
= 10 m3/s

Polluter A

Reach 3
10 km

BOD concentration = 10 mg/L

DO deficit = 3 mg/L
Stream flow = 20 m3/s

Reach 4
5 km

Polluter C

Reach 5
20 km

Background BOD both in the river and from the tributary decays with a rate constant of 0.2 day-1.
BOD from the Polluter A decays with a rate constant of 0.5 day-1, and from Polluters B and C with
a rate constant of 0.3 day-1.
The table below gives the average water velocities and depths for the five reaches, and for each, the
number of uniform segments that the reach is to be further divided into when modeling it (as
instructed below).

Reach
number

Number of
segments

Average water
velocity (m/s)

Average depth
of water (m)

1
2

15

0.5

15

0.25

10

0.3

1.5

0.1

1.7

15

0.2

The costs of building and operating wastewater treatment plants to reduce the BOD concentrations
of the wastewater discharges from the three polluters vary depending on their percentages of BOD
reduction. The costs are as defined by the piecewise linear functions below. For all i = A, B, C:
4

Ci = c ip x ip
p =1

(1)

Ci is the cost of building and operating a wastewater treatment plant to treat Polluter is discharge.
cip is the cost gradient of piece p of the piecewise linear function for Polluter i. xip is the fraction of
BOD removed that is associated with piece p of Polluter is cost function. For all i = A, B, C:

L i = Lui 1 - x ip
p=1

(2)

Li is the BOD concentration of the discharge from Polluter i after treatment, and Liu the BOD
concentration of the raw discharge from Polluter i before treatment.
In the piecewise linear functions as given by Equations (1) and (2), the first (and least steepest),
second, third and fourth pieces represent the costs of primary, secondary, tertiary and advanced
tertiary treatment, respectively. Primary treatment provides up to 35% BOD removal, secondary
treatment up to 80%, tertiary treatment up to 90% and advanced tertiary treatment up to 99%.
The following table gives the flow rates, untreated BOD concentrations and DO deficits of the
discharges from the three polluters to the river. The second table gives the cost gradients of the
piecewise linear functions to estimate the costs of wastewater treatment.

Polluter, i

Flow rate of discharge

3
to river (m /s)

BOD concentration
of untreated discharge
u
to river, Li (mg/L)

DO deficit of discharge
to river (mg/L)

A
B
C

8
10
3

500
300
200

3
4
2

Cost gradient, cip (million $/yr)

Polluter, i

Primary
treatment

Secondary
treatment

Tertiary
treatment

A
B
C

0.25
0.35
0.3

0.5
0.7
0.6

1
1.5
1.2

Advanced
Tertiary
treatment
3
4
3.5

(a) By expanding the Streeter-Phelps equation for multiple reaches, discharges and BOD types,
develop a spreadsheet model of the river to predict the concentrations of BOD and DO along
the river. Using the results of the model, plot a graph showing the BOD and DO concentrations
along the entire river for the status quo where there is no wastewater treatment to reduce the
discharges of BOD from the polluters to the river.
(b) Using linear programming, find the combination of xip that gives the least overall cost of
improving the water quality along the river such that DO concentration is at least 5 mg/L at all
points, and total BOD concentration is no greater than 10 mg/L where the town of Eee
withdraws water for its drinking water supply. Take note of the optimum.
(c) Modify the least cost model in part (b) such that it is required that the three polluters reduce the
BOD concentrations of their discharges by the same percentage. Solve the modified model, and
take note of the new optimum.
(d) Repeat part (c), but now, instead of uniform percent reductions, the three polluters are required
to have uniform BOD concentrations in their discharges.
(e) With your results from parts (b) to (d), fill out the table below.
(b)
Least cost

Item

(c)
Uniform %
reductions

(d)
Uniform
concentrations

Total BOD discharged (g/s)

Total treatment cost (million $/yr)
Minimum DO concentration in river (mg/L)
BOD concentration where Eee is (mg/L)
% reduction in BOD discharged
--- Discharger A
--- Discharger B
--- Discharger C
BOD concentration in discharge
--- Discharger A
--- Discharger B
--- Discharger C

(f) Repeat part (c). Instead of uniform percent reductions, the three polluters are now required to
pay a BOD discharge tax. For each g/s of BOD discharged, the polluters are required to pay a
certain amount of tax. Obtain solutions for the following tax rates, in $/yr per g/s: 200, 250, and
300.
(g) Repeat part (c). Instead of uniform percent reductions, the three polluters are now paid a
subsidy reducing their BOD discharges. For each g/s of reduction in BOD discharge, the
polluters are paid a certain amount of subsidy. Obtain solutions for the following subsidy rates,
in $/yr per g/s: 200, 250, and 300.
(h) With your results from parts (f) to (g), fill out the table below. Based on your results, which tax
rate do you recommend if a tax program were to be implemented to achieve the water quality
goals described in part (b)? Which subsidy rate do you recommend if a subsidy program were
to be implemented?
3

BOD discharge Tax

Tax rate ($/yr per g/s)
Total BOD discharged (g/s)
Minimum DO concentration in river (mg/L)
BOD concentration where Eee is (mg/L)
Total treatment cost (million $/yr)
Total tax paid (million $/yr)
Total financial cost (million $/yr)

200

250

300

200

250

300

BOD treatment subsidy

Subsidy rate ($/yr per g/s)
Total BOD discharged (g/s)
Minimum DO concentration in river (mg/L)
BOD concentration where Eee is (mg/L)
Total treatment cost (million $/yr)
Total subsidy received (million $/yr)
Total financial cost (million $/yr)

(i) Repeat part (c), but now, instead of uniform percent reductions, the three polluters are initially
allocated BOD discharge permits. They are then allowed to buy and sell the permits among
themselves. The quantity of permits held by each polluter determines the amount of BOD
discharge it is allowed. The polluters are initially assigned permits according to the optimal
formula under the uniform percent reductions program in part (c). Assume zero transaction
costs and fully rational behavior. With your results, fill out the table below. From the results, do
you expect the trading to lead to better or worse water quality?
BOD discharge permit trading
Total BOD discharged (g/s)
Minimum DO concentration in river (mg/L)
BOD concentration where Eee is (mg/L)
Total treatment cost (million $/yr)
Total financial cost (million $/yr)