Does the Warta River Determine the Safety of Poznań’s Storm Sewer System?

Progressive urbanization and the increasing frequency of intense rainfall events make it necessary to assess, with ever greater precision, the resilience of urban stormwater drainage systems to the simultaneous effects of rainfall and high water levels in receiving bodies of water. In the case of Poznań, the impact of the Warta River on the terminal sections of the stormwater drainage network located in the zone of potential backwater is of particular importance. The analyses conducted for this study included flood wave scenarios for the Warta River, both without rainfall and with the simultaneous occurrence of design rainfall.
The objective of the analyses was to identify the components of the stormwater drainage system most vulnerable to flooding or loss of hydraulic efficiency under conditions of backwater from the receiving body. Hydraulic modeling of the system’s operation was used under various combinations of boundary conditions: Warta River flood waves and rainfall events with varying probabilities of occurrence and durations.
Particular attention was paid to critical components from the perspective of system operation, such as the terminal sections of collectors, outlets, manholes, pumping stations, retention basins, and other structures whose flooding could affect the operational safety of the entire drainage system.
The presentation will cover a discussion of scenario assumptions, the approach to assessing the vulnerability of network components, and the importance of such analyses for operational planning, monitoring, and preventive measures. This topic fits into the broader context of adapting urban drainage systems to changing hydrological and precipitation conditions, as well as the need to mitigate the risk of flooding in urban areas.

A graduate of the Poznań University of Life Sciences with a degree in Environmental Engineering from the Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering. She began her professional career at the Polish Watershed Management Authority in Poznań, where she dealt with issues related to water permits. She then worked at Aquanet S.A. as a specialist in technical reviews and conditions.
She has been with Aquanet Retencja since April 2021, that is, since the company was founded. She currently leads the department responsible for hydrodynamic modeling of stormwater drainage systems in Poznań. Her experience includes building and updating hydrodynamic models, as well as analyzing conceptual and design solutions. In her daily work, she combines her engineering expertise with a practical approach to stormwater management and urban adaptation to climate change.