Modeling of wastewater discharge into natural water bodies

Water is vital for life, and aquatic ecosystems cover more than 75 per cent of the planet’s surface. The structure, biodiversity, productivity and functionality of aquatic ecosystems are very sensitive to any water quality changes. Aquatic ecosystems have long been used as receiving environments of wastewater discharges. Sewage in some countries is discharged untreated, and remains far from satisfactory even in other countries, degrading the ecosystem services. The discharge of these effluents in a receiving water body via single jet or multiport diffuser, buoyant or non-buoyant jets, reflect a number of complex phenomena. Discharge systems need to be designed to minimize environmental impacts. Therefore, a good knowledge of the interaction between the effluents, the discharge system and the receiving environments, which was the purpose of the hydraulic group of the technical University of Bari, is required in order to evaluate the mixing process and then the potential environment impacts.