FLASH FLOODING IN

BARRANQUILLA, COLUMBIA
WATER RESOURCES AND HYDROLOGY
BRENDAN CUTULI AND LUIS TEJADA
7/30/18
 INTRODUCTION
• BARRANQUILLA, COLUMBIA
• PUBLIC SERVICE OF 2 MILLION PEOPLE
• AREA OF 120 KM2
• WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM – 5 WATER
TREATMENT PLANTS
• SOURCE – MAGDALENA RIVER
• FLASH FLOODS – FLOW RATES TO 50 M3 / S
• CLIMATE
• 81 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT
• 821 MM – AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL
• DATA
• MAX. ELEVATION = 145 M ABOVE SEA
LEVEL
• RAINFALL INTENSITYS REACH 50 MM/HR
AND 120 MM/HR PER CAPITA
• WATER SUPPLY = 57,000 M3 PER CAPITA
ANNUALLY
• SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION:
SEWAGE, FARMING AND GOLD MINING
 PROBLEM
• FLASH FLOODING
• LOW RAINFALL INFILTRATION
• EASTERN WATERSHED LACKS PROPER STORM
WATER DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
• HIGH VELOCITY FLOODING PUTS CITIZENS AT RISK
• YEARLY DEATH TOLL OF TWO PEOPLE PER YEAR
DUE TO FAST STREAMS
FLASH FLOODING SAFETY
 HYDROLOGY
• TWO MAJOR WATERSHEDS
• EAST AND WEST OF DIVIDE
• EAST DRAINS TO MAGDALENA RIVER
• TEN SUB-WATERSHEDS

• WEST DRAINS TO LION STREAM

• DRAINS TO MALLORQUIN SWAMP
PEAK FLOW TO POINT OF CONCENTRATION FOR DIFFERENT RETURN PERIODS
ESTIMATED VELOCITIES (M/S)
SAMPLE HYDROGRAPHS
 WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
• BARRANQUILLA’S WATER SYSTEM, BOTH STORMWATER AND DRINKING WATER, HAS BEEN
WORSENING SINCE THE 1960’S DUE TO POPULATION AND CLIMATE CHANGES
• TRIPLE A DE BARRANQUILLA HAS ATTEMPTED TO UPDATE THE SYSTEM SINCE THE 1990’S, BUT
ONLY 10% OF BARRANQUILLA HAS THAT UPDATED INFRASTRUCTURE
• HOUSES DRAIN DIRECTLY ONTO THE STREETS
• 1,463 KM OF PIPING NETWORKS ACROSS BARRANQUILLA CITY
• CONSISTS OF 8 PRESSURE ZONES AND OVER 350 CLOSED CIRCUITS
 ALTERNATIVES ASSESSMENT

1. ALLOWING TRIPLE A TO CONTINUE THEIR TRADITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

2. CREATING SUSTAINABLE URBAN DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, LIKE DETENTION BASINS, GREEN
ROOFS THAT COULD ABSORB RAINFALL, HYDRODYNAMIC SEPARATORS, AND RAIN
GARDENS. ADDING MORE GREEN AREAS THAT COULD BREAK UP THE REGIONS OF
IMPENETRABLE CONCRETE
3. REDUCING PEAK FLOW USING DOMESTIC WATER STORAGE TANKS TO TEMPORARILY HOLD
STORM WATER AND INCREASE TIME OF CONCENTRATION
4. IMPROVE AND REVIEW STORM WATER MONITORING SYSTEM
 CONCLUSION

• THE FLASH FLOODING ISSUE IN BARRANQUILLA IS A MAJOR THREAT TO ITS POPULATION THAT
SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
• THE SOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE SUSTAINABLE AND ACCOUNT FOR THE SEVERE
WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT PLAGUE THE CARIBBEAN