Characterizing Flow Patterns and Velocities in a Backwater Valve Using Fluorescent Particle Tracers for Image Velocimetry

Flooding in urban communities is an increasingly prevalent issue that causes significant financial loss, property damage, and long-term adverse health effects. Backwater valves can reduce the risk of basement flooding during sewer surcharge events at the lot-level scale. However, guidelines for installation and maintenance can be limited or inconsistent, with little underlying literature or research. Without proper installation and ongoing maintenance, solids can accumulate, resulting in the valve failing to close or being unable to form a watertight seal during a sewer surcharge event. This research provides insights to inform future design iterations or updates to best practices guidelines by characterizing flow patterns and velocities within the Mainline Fullport backwater valve. A series of laboratory experiments are described at two common flow rates (0.1 and 0.3 L/s) and various slopes (-2%, 0%, 2%, 5%, and 10%) using fluorescent particle tracers as a novel replacement for more traditional laser-based particle image velocimetry. Results revealed a complex flow environment influenced by slope, flow rate, initial water level conditions, and the fluid properties of water. Regions for potential solids accumulation leading to mechanisms of potential failure occurred near the inlet, at the downstream edge of the closing gate, and along the side channels. Increased slopes generally improved flow conditions, with least favorable outcomes below a 2% slope and diminishing returns above a 5% slope. Between 2% and 5% slope, conditions were the most complex but improved with increased flow rates. Fluorescent particle velocimetry shows promise as a powerful, affordable, and reliable tool to visualize flow and measure velocities in complex, shallow flow environments where other methods are unsuitable. Floods are an increasingly common and highly damaging problem, during which wastewater can back up in sewage pipes into basements. A backwater valve reduces the risk of sewer back-up and basement flooding. The valve closes when sewage flows backward and seals shut until the event ends. A backwater valve must be properly installed and maintained to ensure intended performance, but the associated guidelines can be unclear. To help improve those guidelines, this paper clarifies performance for various flow patterns and slopes in a backwater valve at different flow rates using laboratory experiments. Faster-moving water flushes debris and helps keep the valve clean, but raising slopes to achieve that may be difficult or expensive. Experiments used particles glowing under a black light to visualize water movement. Results reveal complicated flow patterns, with the worst conditions for flushing debris developing below 2% slope (2-cm drop per 100-cm of length) and the best conditions at 5% or above. Between 2% and 5% slope, the benefits of increasing slope were complex and depended on other factors. Methods used in these experiments can be adapted for different applications because they are relatively inexpensive and can work in shallow-water environments.