Principles and Technical Application of Mixing Zones for Wastewater Discharges to Freshwater and Marine Environments

A discharge mixing zone (DMZ) is a defined geographical area or volume of water in the receiving environment of a discharge where initial dilution of the effluent occurs and where exceedance of water quality criteria may be permitted. DMZs are essential to inform determination of discharge consent c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water (Basel) 2022-04, Vol.14 (8), p.1201
Main Authors: Campos, Carlos J. A., Morrisey, Donald J., Barter, Paul
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case studies
Chemical oxygen demand
Climate change
Coastal environments
Contaminants
Criteria
Dilution
Ecological effects
Effluents
Fresh water
Legislation
Marine environment
Pathogens
Pollution monitoring
Principles
Purification
Receiving waters
Reviews
Risk management
Sediments
Sewage
Wastewater
Wastewater dilution
Wastewater discharges
Wastewater pollution
Water quality
Water treatment
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Description
Summary:A discharge mixing zone (DMZ) is a defined geographical area or volume of water in the receiving environment of a discharge where initial dilution of the effluent occurs and where exceedance of water quality criteria may be permitted. DMZs are essential to inform determination of discharge consent conditions and an important element of risk management frameworks to reduce any effects of the discharges on the environment and human health. In this review, we describe the principles and technical application of DMZs. We present an overview of the physical processes that govern the dispersion and dilution of wastewater discharges and the fate of contaminants in coastal environments and define key criteria for determining the size of DMZs. We summarize DMZ requirements in international legislation and guidance and exemplify their application to different types of discharges by means of case studies. The selected case studies illustrate different modelling tools for defining DMZs and different monitoring approaches to assess their effectiveness in achieving ecological and human health objectives.
ISSN:2073-4441
2073-4441
DOI:10.3390/w14081201