Study on the Effect of Sedimentation on the Hydraulic Performance of Sewerage System RD 1038

Study on the Effect of Sedimentation on the

Hydraulic Performance of Sewerage System

Executive Summary
Deposited sediment is an intrinsic problem in sewer network. It creates many problems such
as overflows, sewer deterioration, and flow capacity depletion, etc. Traditionally, sewers are
designed to carry sediment using the self-cleansing velocity, and this has been working
satisfactorily in sewer networks. With the advancement of hydraulic technology, it is realised
that a single minimum velocity criterion may not appropriately represent the behaviour of
sediment transport in all sewers. The development of sediment transport theory has resulted
in the establishment of influence factors such as the size and characteristic of sediment, the
roughness of pipes, suspended sediment and bed deposits.

Construction and Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) in UK published a

Report No. 141 entitled the “Design of Sewers to Control Sediment Problems” in 1996. The
report gives an account on the characteristics of sediment and their investigations on sediment
transportation. It consists of two parts: Part A – Project Report details the research findings
and design guidance, and Part B – Simplified Design Guide provides the simplified design
procedure for application of sediment situation similar to UK. The CIRIA Report 141 is
designed mainly for “freely-discharging” sewers, which will experience a range of part-full
gravity flows with hydraulic gradient essentially parallel to the physical gradient of the sewer.
The CIRIA Report 141 derives a new approach in the design of sewers with the application of
sophisticated sediment transport theories. In general, the new design approach will result in
higher self-cleansing velocities (> 1m/s) for large foul sewers (> 1,200mm diameter), and
lower self-cleansing velocity (< 1.0m/s) for small foul sewers.

This R&D Study investigates the effect of deposited sediment (bed deposit) on the flow
capacity of foul sewers. Due to the difficulty of obtaining representative samples on
suspended sediment, the investigation on suspended sediment is not covered under the Study.
The study area consists of three different sub-catchments in North West Kowloon, i.e. Sham
Shui Po, Mong Kok, and Yau Ma Tei. To investigate the effect of sediment on the hydraulic
performance of the foul sewers at different land use zonings, the industrial area in Sham Shui
Po, the residential area in Yau Ma Tei and the residential/commercial area in Mong Kok are
selected as three study areas in this R&D Study.

Flow measurements were undertaken for the three study areas, the maximum velocities for the
three respective trunk sewers in Sham Shui Po (0.80 m/s –0.95 m/s), Mong Kok (0.66 m/s –
0.93 m/s), and Yau Ma Tei (0.43 m/s – 0.60 m/s) were recorded. It is noted that most of the
maximum measured flow velocities are less than the values of the self-cleansing velocity
stipulated in the Sewerage Manual, and only the maximum measured flow velocities at Sham
Shui Po marginally meet the revised requirement under CIRIA Report 141. The results of the
hydraulic model analyses revealed that most of the trunk sewers in Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok,
and Yau Ma Tei respectively were unable to meet the minimum velocity requirements as
stipulated in both CIRIA Report 141 and DSD Sewerage Manual. The hydraulic analyses
Study on the Effect of Sedimentation on the Hydraulic Performance of Sewerage System RD 1038

showed that sewer sediment (bed deposit) and roughness value (sediment bed and pipe wall)
had adverse impacts on the flow capacity of sewers. The flow capacity of sewers decreases
with increase in sediment depth and roughness value. Nonetheless, the network performance
of North West Kowloon sewerage system is satisfactory. This is apparently resulted from the
regular maintenance works by Mainland South Division (Annual Inspection Programme,
Annual Maintenance Programme and Preventive Maintenance Works System (Red Route).

Enquiries were sent to CIRIA and water authorities in UK and Singapore on their application
of CIRIA Report 141. Wessex Water and Public Utilities Board of Singapore Government
stated that they would not adopt CIRIA Report 141.

The new approach in CIRIA Report 141 is not recommended to be applied to the existing
sewer network where site constraints will create tremendous problems in relaying the sewers
to the suggested desirable gradients, particularly for the trunk sewers of size greater than
1,200mm diameter and laid under the carriageways. As stipulated in CIRIA Repot 141, most
of the sediment data given in the Report are based on UK, European and US data. The
classification of sediment characteristics in the CIRIA Report 141 is mainly relevant to UK
condition and should not be used wherever reliable site-specific data are not available.

Nevertheless, the requirement of the steeper gradient and higher velocity as stipulated in the
CIRIA Report 141 should be carefully assessed in designing the trunk sewers of size greater
than 1.2m.