Periodic Reporting for period 2 - StopUP (Protecting the aquatic environment from urban runoff pollution)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2024-03-01 do 2025-08-31
Stormwater overflows, such as urban surface runoff and combined sewer overflows, are of high risk when entering the aquatic environment untreated due to their substantial pollutant loads. European urban wastewater treatment infrastructure rarely has appropriate treatment processes for these polluted water streams. Therefore, new strategies and technologies are needed to mitigate these pollutant emissions effectively.
The EU-funded StopUP project tackles the lack of options for managing stormwater overflows in decentralized and centralized systems (see Figure below). With eleven consortium partners, including nine beneficiaries and two associated partners, StopUP characterizes pollutant sources and pathways. Employing cutting-edge monitoring techniques, including online sensors and advanced data analysis, the project enhances the understanding of pollutants. Upon that, it pioneers new technologies for pollution prevention, along with providing decision-making tools to aid in selecting and implementing mitigation measures.
The EU-funded StopUP project tackles the lack of options for managing stormwater overflows in decentralized and centralized systems (see Figure below). With eleven consortium partners, including nine beneficiaries and two associated partners, StopUP characterizes pollutant sources and pathways. Employing cutting-edge monitoring techniques, including online sensors and advanced data analysis, the project enhances the understanding of pollutants. Upon that, it pioneers new technologies for pollution prevention, along with providing decision-making tools to aid in selecting and implementing mitigation measures.
The research and innovation activities within StopUP are centred around six case studies in six different countries and urban catchments (see Figure below). Information from each case study was collected regarding catchment characteristics and environmental protection targets.
- A database was developed, including information about the catchment characteristics, water quantity (precipitation data and flow measurements) and water quality.
- A pollution and pollution-induced risk profiling of the urban catchments was subsequently set up with this data.
- Furthermore, comprehensive sampling campaigns were carried out at the case studies to determine pollutant types and concentrations.
- A standard protocol for off-line analysis was created to support the uniformity of the monitoring and to provide guidelines for future actions.
- For in-line analysis, an operational sensor and sampling system was developed, capable of measuring parameters such as water level, turbidity, and electrical conductivity in high frequency.
The data gained regarding the pollution characteristics in the different case studies was used within StopUP for pollution modelling. A novel simplified model for surface runoff quantity and quality estimation was therefore developed for small catchments and a model calibration regarding turbidity was performed. For the case studies models were developed to described either the respective catchment area or specific components (e.g. wetlands) with different degrees of freedom.
The integration of possible future seasonal variations was also investigated for selected case studies.
In addition, a web-based interception tool was developed that measures the volume reduction capability of SuDS systems, which is used as a surrogate for the reduction of water pollution impact on the receiving water environment. The tool is openly available at: The StopUp SuDS Tool - stopup.eu
As StopUP also developed, tested and assessed innovative strategies and technologies for pollution prevention, pilot plants of various technical approaches and constructed and operated. In total, six pilot plants including approaches for decentralized and centralized sewer systems were installed at the case studies. The results from the pilots provided a wealth of data on the removal performance regarding a broad spectrum of water quality parameters.
The collection of data regarding these technologies and different scenarios has been used to conduct life cycle assessments (LCAs) as well as cost assessment. Mayor dissemination activities have taken place through which planners, operators, and authorities can be supported to make comprehensible, sustainable decisions. The outcomes of urban runoff pollution characterisation, pollution modelling and mitigation measures can feed into urban runoff water quality management plans (URUQ-MAPs), which are particularly relevant in the context of the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD).
- A database was developed, including information about the catchment characteristics, water quantity (precipitation data and flow measurements) and water quality.
- A pollution and pollution-induced risk profiling of the urban catchments was subsequently set up with this data.
- Furthermore, comprehensive sampling campaigns were carried out at the case studies to determine pollutant types and concentrations.
- A standard protocol for off-line analysis was created to support the uniformity of the monitoring and to provide guidelines for future actions.
- For in-line analysis, an operational sensor and sampling system was developed, capable of measuring parameters such as water level, turbidity, and electrical conductivity in high frequency.
The data gained regarding the pollution characteristics in the different case studies was used within StopUP for pollution modelling. A novel simplified model for surface runoff quantity and quality estimation was therefore developed for small catchments and a model calibration regarding turbidity was performed. For the case studies models were developed to described either the respective catchment area or specific components (e.g. wetlands) with different degrees of freedom.
The integration of possible future seasonal variations was also investigated for selected case studies.
In addition, a web-based interception tool was developed that measures the volume reduction capability of SuDS systems, which is used as a surrogate for the reduction of water pollution impact on the receiving water environment. The tool is openly available at: The StopUp SuDS Tool - stopup.eu
As StopUP also developed, tested and assessed innovative strategies and technologies for pollution prevention, pilot plants of various technical approaches and constructed and operated. In total, six pilot plants including approaches for decentralized and centralized sewer systems were installed at the case studies. The results from the pilots provided a wealth of data on the removal performance regarding a broad spectrum of water quality parameters.
The collection of data regarding these technologies and different scenarios has been used to conduct life cycle assessments (LCAs) as well as cost assessment. Mayor dissemination activities have taken place through which planners, operators, and authorities can be supported to make comprehensible, sustainable decisions. The outcomes of urban runoff pollution characterisation, pollution modelling and mitigation measures can feed into urban runoff water quality management plans (URUQ-MAPs), which are particularly relevant in the context of the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD).
The StopUP project goes beyond addressing the challenges of urban runoff and sewer overflows by providing several innovative solutions and by that, advancing the technological frontier. An in-situ grab sampling system has been developed that is triggered based on in-line sensor data and weather predictions. Thereby, not only live data is integrated but also the future state of the system is included. Besides evolving such an automatic triggering protocol for advanced sampling, StopUP also advanced the urban-runoff related pollution modelling so that stakeholders can enhance their decision-making process for selecting appropriate SuDS systems. An end-user water quality design and planning interception tool was set up and has been released for public access. The tool allows users to create a detailed representation of a SuDS network, to apply rainfall, and then to calculate and report on its hydraulic and water quality performance. An assessment of the pollution management effectiveness is thereby possible. The usability of the tool has been assessed in one of the project case studies.
Driving highly promising technologies for the mitigation of pollution by urban runoff was another key activity within the StopUP project. Several technological approaches were investigated in the case studies, providing new insights about the effectiveness of the technologies such as constructed wetlands, filtration and ion exchange. The urban rainshell material has been tested to facilitate stormwater storage and treatment. Based on those results and new decision support framework for treatment technologies was developed. A compact retention soil filter system (RSFcompact) was tested in large pilot scale, with higher hydraulic loading than current design guidelines recommend, which can make the technology more applicable in densely populated areas with limited land availability. The investigation of the process combination of micro sieving and adsorption also successfully indicated an effective treatment of combined sewer overflow. Another investigated nature-based technology showed that impregnating clay onto the biochar significantly enhances the removal of micropollutants in constructed wetlands.
Driving highly promising technologies for the mitigation of pollution by urban runoff was another key activity within the StopUP project. Several technological approaches were investigated in the case studies, providing new insights about the effectiveness of the technologies such as constructed wetlands, filtration and ion exchange. The urban rainshell material has been tested to facilitate stormwater storage and treatment. Based on those results and new decision support framework for treatment technologies was developed. A compact retention soil filter system (RSFcompact) was tested in large pilot scale, with higher hydraulic loading than current design guidelines recommend, which can make the technology more applicable in densely populated areas with limited land availability. The investigation of the process combination of micro sieving and adsorption also successfully indicated an effective treatment of combined sewer overflow. Another investigated nature-based technology showed that impregnating clay onto the biochar significantly enhances the removal of micropollutants in constructed wetlands.