Optimal water quality management for the Houston ship channel

A NON-LINEAR PROGRAMMING MODEL WAS DEVELOPED TO DETERMINE LEAST-COST SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVED DISSOLVED OXYGEN LEVELS IN THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL. RESULTS SHOWED THAT NON-LINEAR PROGRAMMING CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED TO ESTUARINE QUALITY PROBLEMS. STEADY STATE SOLUTIONS WERE OBTAINED INDICATING THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT EFFICIENCIES REQUIRED AT EACH DISCHARGE SITE IF THE TOTAL COST WAS TO BE MINIMIZED. AN IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE UPPER HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL WAS THE HIGH OXYGEN DEMAND EXERTED BY EXISTING BENTHAL DEPOSITS. ELIMINATION OF SOLIDS DEPOSITION WAS REQUIRED IF AEROBIC CONDITIONS WERE TO BE OBTAINED. IN AN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF IMPLEMENTING LEAST-COST SOLUTIONS, AN EQUIT AND BOUNTY SYSTEM WAS FORMULATED. (LIGON-CORNELL)