Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Program

About this Issue

by Dr. Suzanne van Drunick, National Program Director, Safe and Sustainable Water Resources

Models and tools are the science that supports how we approach environmental protection. They are the backbone helping us understand natural systems and how those systems react in a variety of scenarios - from rain and floodwaters to pesticides and excess nutrients. Models and tools help us understand the impact on human health and the environment. Each year, we develop new and innovative tools and models to find more efficient and better, faster ways to provide information to communities around the country. These models and tools often become the basis for environmental clean-up and protection. Our goal is to make sure that the science we develop ends up in the hands of those who need to use it, we want to provide all the models and tools we can to help you make your community a better place to live, work and play. While this list of tools and models is just a small sample of what we have available, we hope that you will find something you can use in your community.

Tools and Models

Better Assessment Science Integrating point & Non-point Sources (BASINS)

BASINS is a multipurpose environmental analysis system designed for use by regional, state, and local agencies in performing watershed and water quality-based studies. Update 3 of the BASINS 4.0 software is now available for download. This system makes it possible to quickly assess large amounts of point source and non-point source data in a format that is easy to use and understand. Find more information on BASINS here.

Bioaccumulation in Aquatic Systems Simulator (BASS)

BASS is a model that simulates the population and bioaccumulation dynamics of age-structured fish communities. Users can simulate both small, short-lived species (e.g., daces, minnows, etc.) and large, long-lived species (e.g., bass, perch, sunfishes, trout, etc.) by specifying either monthly or yearly age classes for any given species. Learn more about BASS here. 

EPANET

EPANET is software that models water distribution piping systems. EPANET tracks the flow of water in each pipe, the pressure at each node, the height of the water in each tank, and the concentration of a chemical species throughout the network during a simulation period. Read more about EPANET here. 

Exposure Analysis Modeling System (EXAMS)

EXAMS is an interactive software application for formulating aquatic ecosystem models and rapidly evaluating the fate, transport, and exposure concentrations of synthetic organic chemicals including pesticides, industrial materials, and leachates from disposal sites. Find more info on EXAMS here.

Optimal Well Locator (OWL)

OWL is a simple tool to evaluate existing monitoring well networks and assist in the selection of new monitoring well locations. The program uses ground-water elevation measurements to evaluate variations in ground-water flow magnitude and direction over time and calculate corresponding plume migration paths. Read more about OWL here. 

Regional Vulnerability Assessment (ReVA) 

The REVA program conducts research on innovative approaches to the evaluation and integration of large and complex datasets and models to assess current conditions and likely outcomes of environmental decisions, including alternative futures. One of ReVA's goals is to proactively assess decisions that may impact multiple outcomes or involve tradeoffs in a transparent, defensible fashion. Learn more about REVA here. 

QUAL2K

QUAL2K (or Q2K) is a river and stream water quality model. QUAL2K is an update to QUAL2E. Learn more about pdates and improvements here.

Storm Water Management Model (SWMM)

SWMM was first developed in 1971, and has since undergone several major upgrades. It continues to be widely used throughout the world for planning, analysis and design related to stormwater runoff, combined sewers, sanitary sewers, and other drainage systems in urban areas, with many applications in non-urban areas as well. To find out more about the latest version of SWMM, visit the SWMM page here.

Drinking Water Treatability Database (TDB)

TDB presents referenced information on the control of contaminants in drinking water. It allows drinking water utilities, first responders to spills or emergencies, treatment process designers, research organizations, academicians, regulators and others to access referenced information gathered from thousands of literature sources and assembled on one site. Read more about TDB here. 

Virtual Beach (VB)

VB is a software package designed for developing site-specific Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) models for the prediction of pathogen indicator levels at recreational beaches. VB reads input data from a text file or Excel document, assists the user in preparing the data for a MLR analysis, enables automated model selection using a wide array of possible model evaluation criteria, and provides predictions using a chosen model and new observational data. Learn more about VB here. 

Watershed Health Assessment Tools Investigating Fisheries (WHATIF)

WHATIF is software that integrates a number of calculators, tools, and models for assessing the health of watersheds and streams with an emphasis on fish communities. The WHATIF toolkit assesses conditions and associated stressors in aquatic ecosystems, examines causes of impairment, and forecasts ecological outcomes of habitat alteration and fisheries management actions. Read more about WHATIF here. 

Sanitary Sewer Overflow Analysis and Planning (SSOAP) Toolbox

The SSOAP toolbox is a suite of computer software tools used for quantification of rainfall-derived infiltration and inflow and facilitating capacity analysis of sanitary sewer systems. This toolbox includes USEPA Storm Water Management Model Version 5 (SWMM5) for performing dynamic routing of flows through the sanitary sewer systems. The SSOAP toolbox was developed from a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with Camp Dresser & McKee Inc., (CDM), a global consulting, engineering, construction, and operations firm. Learn more about the SSOAP toolbox here. 

System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis Integration Model (SUSTAIN)

SUSTAIN is a decision support system to facilitate selection and placement of Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Low Impact Development (LID) techniques at strategic locations in urban watersheds. It was developed to assist stormwater management professionals in developing implementation plans for flow and pollution control to protect source waters and meet water quality goals. Find out more about SUSTAIN here.