Mohammed Assaf

Graduation: -

Supervisors: Prof. Sara Todeschini, Prof. Enrico Creaco
Co-supervisor: Prof. Sauro Manenti

Thesis title: Advanced flow routing and water quality modeling of urban catchments during wet weather periods

Abstract: Urbanization and climate change intensify stormwater challenges by accelerating runoff and increasing pollutant loads to receiving waters. This thesis advances event-based calibration strategies for stormwater quantity and quality modelling within EPA-SWMM. The work evaluates hydrological formulations, investigates how event selection and objective functions influence calibration outcomes, and develops integrated strategies for pollutant build-up and wash-off. A Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA) is employed to identify influential parameters, assess how rainfall characteristics affect parameter sensitivity, and reduce dimensionality and equifinality. Results show that calibration design including model choice, event selection, sensitivity analysis, and objective functions, strongly determines predictive reliability. The thesis contributes methodological innovations and practical guidance to improve the robustness, efficiency, and applicability of urban stormwater models.