Abstract
The urban water system theory is an extension of the basin water system science on an urban scale, providing a new systematic solution for the unbalanced human-water relationship and severe water challenges, such as waterlogging, black and odorous water, and ecological degradation caused by urbanization. Most existing studies on urban water systems have focused on individual water cycle processes linked with water supply and sewage treatment plants, but mutual feedback between the water cycle and its associated material circulation and water ecology, as well as human processes, still needs further exploration. In this paper, the concept, theory, and technical methodology of the urban water system were developed based on the water cycle and basin water system science. The Urban Water System 5.0 (UWS 5.0) model was developed by integrating the Time Variant Gain rainfall-runoff Model with Urban water system (TVGM_Urban) in different underlying surface conditions for analyzing the natural-social water cycle processes and their associated water environmental and ecological processes and the influence of multiscale sponge measures. Herein, five major simulation functions were realized: rainfall-runoff-nonpoint source pollutant load, water and pollutant transportations through the drainage network system, terminal regulation and purification, socioeconomic water cycle, and water system assessment and regulation. The location for the case study used in this paper was Wuhan City. The findings showed that the entire urban water system should consider the built-up area and its associated rivers and lakes as the research object and explore the integrations among the urban natural-social water cycle and river regulations inside and outside of the city as well as the effects of socioeconomic development and sponge measures on the water quantity-quality-ecology processes. The UWS 5.0 model efficiently simulated the urban rainfall-runoff process, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in water bodies, and characteristic indicators of socioeconomic development. For the rainfall-runoff simulations, the correlation coefficient and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) fall under the excellent and good classes, respectively. For the TN and TP concentration simulations, results exhibited good bias and the correlation coefficients exceeded 0.90 for 78.1% of the sampled sites. The simulation of 18 socioeconomic indicators provided excellent bias, correlation coefficient, and NSE values of 100%, 83.3%, and 69.4% to total indicators, respectively. Based on the well-calibrated UWS 5.0 model, the source sponge, artificial enhancement, and source reduction-path interception-terminal treatment measures were optimized, which considerably mitigated waterlogging, black and odorous water, and lake eutrophication, respectively. The mitigation performance revealed that the maximum inundated area for a once-in-10-year rainfall event was reduced by 32.6%, the removal ratio of the black and odorous water area was 65%, the comprehensive trophic state index of water bodies was reduced by 37%, and the green development level of Wuhan City in 2020 increased from 0.56 to 0.67. This study is expected to advance the intersection and development of multidisciplinary fields (e.g., urban hydrology, environmental science, and ecology) and offer an important theoretical and technical basis for solving urban complex water issues and promoting green development of cities.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Amaguchi H, Kawamura A, Olsson J, Takasaki T. 2012. Development and testing of a distributed urban storm runoff event model with a vector-based catchment delineation. J Hydrol, 508: 240–253
Balchin P N, Isaac D, Chen J. 2000. Urban Economics—A Global Perspective. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 560
Bauer P, Dueben P D, Hoefler T, Quintino T, Schulthess T C, Wedi N P. 2021. The digital revolution of Earth-system science. Nat Comput Sci, 1: 104–113
Beal L, Senison J, Banner J, Musgrove M L, Yazbek L, Bendik N, Herrington C, Reyes D. 2020. Stream and spring water evolution in a rapidly urbanizing watershed, Austin, TX. Water Resour Res, 56: e2019WR025623
Bhaduri A, Bogardi J, Leentvaar J, Marx S. 2014. The Global Water System in the Anthropocene: Challenges for Science and Governance. Bonn: Springer International Publishing. 437
Chambers L G, Chin Y P, Filippelli G M, Gardner C B, Herndon E M, Long D T, Lyons W B, Macpherson G L, McElmurry S P, McLean C E, Moore J, Moyer R P, Neumann K, Nezat C A, Soderberg K, Teutsch N, Widom E. 2016. Developing the scientific framework for urban geochemistry. Appl Geochem, 67: 1–20
Chen J N, Dong X. 2007. Developments and challenges in urban water system planning (in Chinese). Water Wastewater Eng, 33: 1–16
Chen J X, Zhang J H, Peng J B, Zou L, Fan Y J, Yang F R, Hu Z W. 2023. Alp-valley and elevation effects on the reference evapotranspiration and the dominant climate controls in Red River Basin, China: Insights from geographical differentiation. J Hydrol, 620: 129397
Chen X. 2018. Study on the impacts of underlying surface change on the waterlogging in the downtown area of Wuhan (in Chinese). Dissertation for Master’s Degree. Wuhan: Wuhan University
Cheng G D, Li X. 2015. Integrated research methods in watershed science. Sci China Earth Sci, 58: 1159–1168
Dong X, Yang K Z. 2021. Urban economics research in China: Review of the 13th five year plan period and prospect of the 14th five year plan period (in Chinese). Urban Develop Stud, 28: 63–69
Dou M, Song S J, Shi Y X, Jin M. 2022. Two-stage optimization of urban water system connectivity scheme under structure-function coupling (in Chinese). Adv Water Sci, 33: 79–90
Fang C L, Bao C, Shen Y M. 2004. Analysis on the characteristic and the change trend of urban expansion restricted by water resources in the arid area of Northwest China —A case study of the cities in the Western Long Hai-Lan Xin Economic Zone (in Chinese). J Nat Resour, 19: 248–256
Fang C L, Zhou C H, Gu C L, Chen L D, Li S C. 2016. Theoretical analysis of interactive coupled effects between urbanization and eco-environment in mega-urban agglomerations (in Chinese). Acta Geogr Sin, 71: 531–550
Freni G, Mannina G, Viviani G. 2008. Uncertainty in urban stormwater quality modelling: The effect of acceptability threshold in the GLUE methodology. Water Res, 42: 2061–2072
Fu C, Li Y X, Wang S T. 2017. Analysis of water system structure and connectivity in the center of Nanchang under the urbanization process (in Chinese). Resour Environ Yangtze Basin, 26: 1042–1048
Gu C L, Duan X J, Yu T F, Sun Y Z, Chen Q N. 2002. A study on the key techniques of the digital city and its 3D re-appearing (in Chinese). Geogr Res, 21: 14–24
GWSP. 2005. The Global Water System Project: Science Framework and Implementation Activities. Earth System Science Partnership. Technical Report. Global Water System Project Office, Bonn, Germany. 78
Hu C, Xia J, She D, Song Z, Zhang Y, Hong S. 2021. A new urban hydrological model considering various land covers for flood simulation. J Hydrol, 603: 126833
Hu Q F, Zhang J Y, Wang Y T, Huang Y, Liu Y, Li L J. 2018. A review of urbanization impact on precipitation (in Chinese). Adv Water Sci, 29: 138–150
Jiang E H, Wang Y J, Tian S M, Li J H, Xu L J, Zhang X P. 2020. Exploration of watershed system science (in Chinese). J Hydraul Eng 51: 1026–1037
Karr J R, Fausch K D, Angermeier P L, Yant P R, Schlosser I J. 1986. Assessing Biological Integrity in Running Waters: A Method and Its Rationale. Illinois: Illinois Natural History Survey
Liang H, Pan X F, Yu X F, Xu W, Chen H M, Li X K. 2016. Valuation of water ecosystem services in Shenzhen city (in Chinese). J Nat Resour, 31: 1474–1487
Liu C M, Zhang Y Y, Wang Z G, Wang Y L, Bai P. 2016. The LID pattern for maintaining virtuous water cycle in urbanized area: A preliminary study of planning and techniques for sponge city (in Chinese). J Nat Resour, 31: 719–731
Liu D. 2009. Impact of urbanisation on rain-flood runoff-a case study of Wuhan city (in Chinese). J Entrepreneurship Sci Technol, 22: 66–67, 71
Liu J G, Hull V, Godfray H C J, Tilman D, Gleick P, Hoff H, Pahl-Wostl C, Xu Z C, Chung M G, Sun J, Li S X. 2018. Nexus approaches to global sustainable development. Nat Sustain, 1: 466–476
Liu J H, Wang H, Gao X R, Chen S L, Wang J L, Shao W W. 2014. Review on urban hydrology (in Chinese). Chin Sci Bull, 59: 3581–3590
Lu Z X, Wei Y, Feng Q, Xiao H L, Chen G D. 2016. Progress on sociohydrology (in Chinese). Adv Water Sci, 27: 772–783
Moriasi D N, Arnold J G, Van L M W, Binger R L, Harmel R D, Veith T. 2007. Model evaluation guidelines for systematic quantification of accuracy in watershed simulations. Trans ASABE, 50: 885–900
Neitsch S, Arnold J, Kiniry J, Williams J R. 2011. SWAT2009 Theoretical Documentation. Texas: Texas Water Resources Institute
Obropta C C, Kardos J S. 2007. Review of urban stormwater quality models: Deterministic, stochastic, and hybrid approaches. J Am Water Resour Assoc, 43: 1508–1523
Qin L, Zhu J L, Gong H Q, Wang M, Chen M. 2020. Analysis of pollution source and calculation of pollution load of the South Lake (in Chinese). J Hubei Univ-Nat Sci, 42: 298–305
Ren N Q, Feng Y J, Chen Z L, Chen W, Zhang Z H. 2012. Transformation Rules of Pollutants in Urban Water Systems and Resource Utilization Theory and Technology (in Chinese). Beijng: Science Press
Ren Y F, Wang X K, Han B, Ouyang Z Y, Miao H. 2005. Chemical analysis on stormwater-runoff pollution of different underlying urban surfaces (in Chinese). Acta Ecol Sin, 25: 3225–3230
Ritter A, Muñoz-Carpena R. 2013. Performance evaluation of hydrological models: Statistical significance for reducing subjectivity in goodness-of-fit assessments. J Hydrol, 480: 33–45
Santhi C, Arnold J G, Williams J R, Dugas W A, Srinivasan R, Hauck L M. 2001. Validation of the SWAT model on a large rwer basin with point and nonpoint sources. J Am Water Resour Assoc, 37: 1169–1188
Shao Y S. 2004, Control and plan of city water system (in Chinese). City Plann Rev, 10: 62–67
Shen W J, Shen Z R, Wang X Y. 2004. Ecosystem health theory and its analysis method (in Chinese). Chin J Eco-Agricul, 12: 159–161
Shepherd J M, Pierce H, Negri A J. 2002. Rainfall modification by major urban areas: Observations from spaceborne rain radar on the TRMM satellite. J Appl Meteorol, 41: 689–701
Sina M, Anik B. 2013. Understanding the global water system for water cooperation. In: Griffiths J, Lambert R, eds. Free Flow, Reaching Water Security through Cooperation. Paris: UNESCO Publishing and Tudor Rose. 288–290
Sivapalan M, Savenije H H G, Blöschl G. 2012. Socio-hydrology: A new science of people and water. Hydrol Process, 26: 1270–1276
Smith J A, Baeck M L, Morrison J E, Sturdevant-Rees P, Turner-Gillespie D F. Bates P D. 2002. The regional hydrology of extreme floods in an urbanizing drainage basin. J Hydrometeorol, 3: 267–282
Sui J, Wang H L, Li J. 2016. Development and application of water quality model for urban drainage system (in Chinese). China Water Wastewater, 32: 130–134
Tang Q H. 2020. Global change hydrology: Terrestrial water cycle and global change. Sci China Earth Sci, 63: 459–462
Tian F Q, Cheng T, Lu Y, Xu Z X. 2018. A review on socio-hydrology and urban hydrology(in Chinese). Prog Geogr, 37: 46–56
Wang H, Wang J, Liu J H, Mei C. 2021. Analysis of urban water cycle evolution and countermeasures (in Chinese). J Hydraul Eng 52: 3–11
Wang M C, Liu X Q, Zhang J H. 2002. Evaluate method and classification standard on lake eutrophication (in Chinese). Environ Monitor China, 18: 47–49
Wang X, Wang Y G, Sun C H, Pan T. 2016, Formation mechanism and assessment method for urban black and odorous water body: A review (in Chinese). Chin J Appl Ecol, 27: 1331–1340
Wang Y L, Liang Q H, Kesserwani G, Hall J W. 2011. A 2D shallow flow model for practical dam-break simulations. J Hydraulic Res, 49: 307–316
Xia J. 2023. Toward water systems science and technology, in the section of the frontiers of water and sanitation. Nature Water, 1: 10–18
Xia J, Wang G S, Tan G, Ye A Z, Huang G H. 2005. Development of distributed time-variant gain model for nonlinear hydrological systems. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 48: 713–723
Xia J, Zhang Y Y, Mu X M, Zuo Q T, Zhou Y J, Zhao G J. 2021. A review of the ecohydrology discipline: Progress, challenges, and future directions in China. J Geogr Sci, 31: 1085–1101
Xia J, Zhang Y Y, Xiong L H, He S, Wang L F, Yu Z B. 2017. Opportunities and challenges of the sponge city construction related to urban water issues in China. Sci China Earth Sci, 60: 652–658
Xia J, Zhang Y Y, Wang Z G, Li H. 2006. Water carrying capacity of urbanized area (in Chinese). J Hydraul Eng, 37: 1482–1488
Xu G L, Xu Y P, Xu H L. 2010. Advance in hydrologic process response to urbanization (in Chinese). J Nat Resour, 25: 2171–2178
Xu W J, Cao S L. 2009. Calculation method of eco-environmental water demand of urban lake with an example of Dongchang Lake in Liaocheng City of China (in Chinese). J Hydroel Eng, 28: 102–107
Xu Z X, Cheng T. 2019. Basic theory for urban water management and sponge city-review on urban hydrology (in Chinese). J Hydraul Eng, 50: 53–61
Xu Z X, Zhou C F, Pan P, Li J F, Xie C. 2020. Influences of urban lakes eutrophication on the C, N and P stoichiometric characteristics in leaves of aquatic macrophytes (in Chinese). Resour Environ Yangtze Basin, 29: 1324–1332
Yan Y T, Jiang Y Z, Liang L L, Zhao H L, Gu J J, Dong J P, Cao Y, Duan H. 2022. Digital twin watershed: new infrastructure and new paradigm of future watershed governance and management (in Chinese). Adv Water Sci, 33: 683–704
Yang Y, Liu Y, Jin F J, Dong W, Li L. 2012. Spatio-temporal analysis of urbanization and land and water resources efficiency of oasis cities in tarim riverbasin (in Chinese). Acta Geogr Sin, 67: 157–168
Yang Z F, Cheng H G. 2002. Models in simulation system of urban industrial water pollution control (in Chinese). Acta Sci Circum, 22: 213–218
Ye Y T, Jiang Y Z, Liang L L, Zhao H L, Gu J J, Dong J P, Cao Y, Duan H. 2022. Digital twin watershed: new infrastructure and new paradigm of future watershed governance and management (in Chinese). Adv Water Sci, 27: 683–704
Yu H X, Xu L Q, Chen X H, Zhang Q. 2011. Regulation mechanism and evaluation model of urban water ecosystem (in Chinese). J Nat Resour, 26: 1707–1714
Zhang J Y, Song X M, Wang G Q, He R M, Wang X J. 2014. Development and challenges of urban hydrology in a changing environment: Hydrological response to urbanization (in Chinese). Adv Water Sci, 25: 594–605
Zhang J, Li D. 2010. Theory and strategy on healthy circulation of urban water system (in Chinese). J Harbin Inst Technol, 42: 849–854, 868
Zhang X F, Liu Z W, Xie Y F, Chen G R. 2007. Evaluation on the changes of ecosystem service of urban lakes during the degradation process: a case study of Xiannv Lake in Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province (in Chinese). Acta Ecol Sin, 27: 2349–2354
Zhang Y Y, Hou J J, Xia J, She D X, Wu S J, Pan X Y. 2022. Regulation characteristics of underlying surface on runoff regime metrics and their spatial differences in typical urban communities across China. Sci China Earth Sci, 65: 1415–1430
Zhang Y Y, Pang X, Xia J, Shao Q X, Yu E T, Zhao T T G, She D X, Sun J Q, Yu J J, Pan X Y, Zhai X Y. 2019. Regional patterns of extreme precipitation and urban signatures in metropolitan areas. J Geophys Res-Atmos, 124: 641–663
Zhang Y Y, Shao Q X, Taylor J A. 2016a. A balanced calibration of water quantity and quality by multi-objective optimization for integrated water system model. J Hydrol, 538: 802–816
Zhang Y Y, Shao Q X, Ye A Z, Xing H T, Xia J. 2016b. Integrated water system simulation by considering hydrological and biogeochemical processes: model development, with parameter sensitivity and autocalibration. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci, 20: 529–553
Zhang Y Y, Shao Q X. 2018. Uncertainty and its propagation estimation for an integrated water system model: An experiment from water quantity to quality simulations. J Hydrol, 565: 623–635
Zhang Y Y, Xia J, Wang Z G. 2007. Research on regional water resources carrying capacity theory and method (in Chinese). Progr Geogr, 26: 12–132
Zhang Y Y, Xia J, Yu J J, Randall M, Zhang Y C, Zhao T T G, Pan X Y, Zhai X Y, Shao Q X. 2018. Simulation and assessment of urbanization impacts on runoff metrics: Insights from landuse changes. J Hydrol, 560: 247–258
Zhao Y W, Yang Z F. 2005. Preliminary study on assessment of urban river ecosystem health (in Chinese). Adv Water Sci, 16: 349–355
Zhou K, Chen Y F, Xu Y. 2022. Associated effects and interaction mechanism of urban expansion and water pollutant emissions: A case study of the Yangtze River delta from 2011 to 2015 (in Chinese). Acta Ecol Sin, 42: 3167–3180
Zhou Y, She D X, Wang Y L, Xia J, Zhang Y Y. 2022. Evaluating the impact of low impact development practices on the urban flooding over a humid region of China. J Am Water Resour Assoc, 58: 1264–1278
Zou L, Liu H Y, Wang F Y, Chen T, Dong Y. 2022. Regional difference and influencing factors of the green development level in the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Sci China Earth Sci, 65: 1449–1462
Zuo Q T, Ma J X, Gao C C. 2005. Study on carrying capacity of urban water environment (in Chinese). Adv Water Sci, 16: 103–108
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDA23040301) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42071041).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Xia, J., Zhang, Y., She, D. et al. Urban water system theory and its model development and application. Sci. China Earth Sci. 67, 704–724 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-023-1226-9
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-023-1226-9