Chapter 7: Urban hydrology

Urban hydrology is the process whereby rainfall becomes runoff on surfaces and feeds into groundwater, collects in depressions and other water storage areas. A relatively young science, it is essential in understanding how water gets into drainage systems. With the advent of computer technology, there has been a rapid development in understanding and representing these processes such that catchment and smaller scale models can be established and used to predict flows in drainage systems and watercourses. Important aspects of these processes are described and the way in which they are included in current models outlined.