STREAM II: An Aqueous Transport Model for Emergency Response on the DOE Savannah River Site

STREAM II is an aqueous transport model used for emergency response at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site (SRS).   In the event of a hazardous chemical or radiological spill near the waterways, the STREAM code is used to estimate the downstream transport and concentration levels at critical downstream receptors, such as intakes to domestic water supplies. If the estimated concentrations exceed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking water standers, authorities with the states of South Carolina and Georgia are notified so protective actions can be implemented.  STREAM II is based upon the EPA’s Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) version 5, with modifications made to specialize in the transport of chemicals of interest at SRS.  Recent modifications have been made in the STREAM II code to incorporate monthly average flows from all SRS streams and creeks to allow for a better downstream prediction of maximum chemical concentrations and time of arrival.  Further modifications of the code are planned to include real time stream flow rates to create more accurate predictions.  The impacts of these enchantments to the STREAM II predictions will be discussed.