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URBAN STORMWATER TRACING WITH THE NATURALLY OCCURRING DEUTERIUM ISOTOPE
Citation:
Sidle*, W C. AND P. Y. Lee. URBAN STORMWATER TRACING WITH THE NATURALLY OCCURRING DEUTERIUM ISOTOPE. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH. Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, VA, 71(6):1251-1256, (1999).
Impact/Purpose:
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Description:
Measurements of the naturally-occurring deuterium isotope assist the tracing of water components during wet-weather flows in an urban watershed. A transect of installations in the vadose and saturated zones was completed in the vicinity of a small stream and storm sewer. High-resolution deuterium mass spectrometry discriminated storm-sewer leaks among other water sources from direct runoff, bank seepage, and ground water flows, into a stream channel. Isotope hydrograph separation indicates that ground water and/or vadose water predominantly contributed to the volume of stream water in comparison to direct surface runoff during a storm event. Significant differences in deuterium in the subsurface suggest multiple flow components exist beyond the time period of a storm event. Deuterium measurements are helpful to model leaks, seepage, and refine mass balance of flows in urban watersheds. Keywords: Deuterium, Isotope, Urban Hydrology.
