Non-conventional water infiltration strategies for recharge of underground reservoirs from a global change perspective in urban area

16 Apr 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

ENGEES

Research Field

Environmental science

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

France

Application Deadline

1 May 2024 - 19:00 (Europe/Paris)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

THESIS PROPOSAL 2024

Titre : Non-conventional water infiltration strategies for recharge of underground reservoirs from a global change perspective in urban area

Impacts assessment on water and soil compartments

 

Topics	Urban hydrology- Ecological engineering – Sustainable stormwater management –Protection, Perservation and Water and Soil sustainable management
Supervisory team	Adrien Wanko, Loïc Maurer
Skills	numerical modeling, hydrology, multivariate data analysis ,
Duration	36 months beginning in October 2024
Location	ICUBE – Laboratoire des sciences de l’Ingénierie, de l’Imagerie et de l’Informatique 1 cour des cigarrières  67000 Strasbourg
Partnerships	Agence de l’eau, Eurométropole de Strasbourg
Contacts	[email protected] et [email protected]

 

Context

 

The alarming observation of the loss of 65,000 hectares of land each year in France, equivalent to a department every 10 years, cannot be ignored. This urban expansion significantly exacerbates the consequences of rainwater runoff on our water regimes and quality, as well as on public safety. Soil impermeability, by limiting infiltration, leads to increased runoff, higher flow rates at outlets, a decline in groundwater levels, more pronounced low-flow periods in our watercourses, and often overloaded sewage systems, resulting in pollution discharges into our ecosystems. These infiltration issues are associated with climate change, which impacts water resource management. Initiating profound changes (such as the reuse of treated wastewater (REUT) and groundwater recharge with source control) is imperative to preserve our water resources, mitigate the effects of climate change, and ensure a sustainable future for our territories. These challenges require addressing both qualitative and quantitative aspects of tormwater management. Using analytical data, this project aims to develop our understanding of the quality of stormwater integrate nature-based solutions modeling into a numerical model such as the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) to enhance our comprehension of integrated stormwater management.

Thesis project

 

This thesis aims to: i) model the impacts of urbanized areas and scenarios of land use changes on water flow and contaminant fluxes,; ii) propose strategies for the infiltration of non-conventional waters, especially rainwater and treated wastewater, to mitigate the adverse effects of global changes. The study will be conducted at various scales (laboratory and field and modelling) to characterize inputs from the watershed, and then analyze and model within this watershed the impact of urbanized and de-impermeabilized areas on volumetric and pollutant fluxes; and diagnose the impacts of the reuse of treated wastewater for groundwater recharge iii) study the consequences of different disconnection strategies to guide decision-making for a more resilient city

 

Objectifs

 

The project will be subdivided into three main axes:

a. Assessment of water and soil resources and the impacts of global changes

 i. Selection and characterization of the initial state of the study sites
ii. Pressure scenarios - global changes
iii. Scenarios for the infiltration of non-conventional waters
iv. Numerical modeling of intersecting scenarios

b. Impacts of infiltrated rainwater on resources
i. Evaluation of SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) performance and the development of water balance in the soil-plant-atmosphere system
ii. Quantitative estimation of recharge
iii. Impact of infiltrated water on the bio-physico-chemical quality of water and soil iv. Evolution of SUDS with consideration of their urban environment footprint

c. Identification of prerequisites and measurement of risks associated with the infiltration of non-conventional waters
i. Experimental modeling of artificial recharge of treated wastewater
ii. Study of associated risks for water and soil resources
iii. Recommendations of best practices adapted to the urban context

Structure

The thesis will be conducted within the Icube laboratory (UMR 7357), and more specifically, within the Mécaflu team. Icube is nationally and internationally recognized for conducting interdisciplinary research in the fields of engineering for health, the environment, and sustainable development. The Mécaflu team is renowned for its expertise in fluid dynamics and the theme of reactive transfers and environmental processes.

Profile

• Water engineering degree / master's degree in environmental science/ numerical modeling master degree with experience on water management/hydraulics

• Experience with environmental studies will be appreciated

• Programming/modeling skills

• Willingness to work on field

•

• Very good English (written and oral) skills

 

Keywords:

Non-conventional water, stormwater management, modeling,  porous medium, soil, water bodies

 

Application:

 

Please provide the following documents :

• CV
• Cover letter
• Transcript of records from Master 1 and Master 2
• Master diploma (if available)
• Recommendation letter (one or two).

 

The documents have to be sent to [email protected]

 

Deadline May 1st .

 

The interview will take place on May 6th (between 9-11h; or 18-19h French time); or May 7th (between 9-10h , 12-13h or 18-19h French time).

Requirements

Research Field

Environmental science

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Good

Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Icube

Country

France

Geofield

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

City

Strasbourg

Website

https://engees.unistra.fr

Street

1 cour des Cigarières CS 61039

Postal Code

67070

STATUS: EXPIRED