Understanding Sediment Deposition Patterns During Drainage Surcharge Events Using Computer Vision Techniques

<p dir="ltr">Sewer sediments have considerable potential to serve as a source of pathogenic contamination during urban floods. This study experimentally investigates the deposition of sediments ejected from a manhole during flood events using an overhead cost-effective camera and computer vision techniques to assess the sediment deposition patterns during surcharge events in the laboratory. Observed sediment deposition patterns are approximately circular and are strongly influenced by the position of the hydraulic jump and the strength of the upstream flow, which can cause eccentricity in deposition patterns. The study provides useful validation datasets for future numerical modelling of sediment transport processes within urban floods.</p><p dir="ltr">This paper was presented at the 21st Computing and Control in the Water Industry Conference (CCWI 2025) at the University of Sheffield (1st - 3rd September 2025).</p>