Method for Operating Drainage Pump Stations Considering Downstream Water Level and Reduction in Urban River Flooding

Korea experiences increasing annual torrential rains owing to climate change and river flooding. The government is expanding a new drainage pump station to minimize flood damage, but the river level has not been adjusted because of torrential rains. Therefore, the river level must be adjusted to operate the drainage pump station, and it can be adjusted through the reservoir of the drainage pump station. In this study, we developed a method for operating drainage pump stations to control the river level and verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. A stormwater management model (SWMM) was used to simulate the Suyeong River and Oncheon River in Busan, Korea. The rainfall data from 2011 to 2021 were investigated. The data were sorted into ten big floods that occurred in Busan. The model was calibrated with actual rainfall data. The water level of the Suyeong River and the Oncheon River was the highest in most simulations. The simulation results showed an average decrease of 3018.2 m3 in Suyeong River flooding, and the Oncheon River needed to be supplemented due to structural problems. As a result of the recombination by simply supplementing the structural problems of the Oncheon River, the average flooding of 194.5 m3 was reduced. The proposed method is economical and efficient for reducing urban stream flooding in areas susceptible to severe damage caused by climate change.