Developing a public information and engagement portal of urban waterways with real-time monitoring and modeling

摘要

Waterways can contribute to the beauty and livelihood of urban areas, but maintaining theirnhydro-ecosystem health is challenging because they are often recipients of contaminated waternfrom stormwater runoff and other discharges. Public awareness of local waterways’ health andncommunity impacts to these waterways is usually poor due to of lack of easily availableninformation. To improve community awareness of water quality in urban waterways in NewnZealand, a web portal was developed featuring a real-time waterways monitoring system, a publicnforum, historical data, interactive maps, contaminant modelling scenarios, mitigationnrecommendations, and a prototype contamination alert system. The monitoring system featurednin the web portal is unique in the use of wireless mesh network technology, direct integrationnwith online modelling, and a clear target of public engagement. The modelling aims to show thenorigin of contaminants within the local catchment and to help the community prioritize mitigationnefforts to improve water quality in local waterways. The contamination alert system aims to keepnmanagers and community members better informed and to provide a more timely responsenopportunity to avert any unplanned or accidental contamination of the waterways. Preliminarynfeedback has been positive and is being supported by local and regional authorities. The systemnwas developed in a cost-effective manner providing a community focussed solution for quantifyingnand mitigating key contaminants in urban catchments and is applicable and transferable to otherncities with similar stormwater challenges.