This outdoor laboratory plans to acquire reliable data on urban wet weather effluents on their impact on receiving water, in order to provide results, knowledge, and methodologies to assess the sustainability of urban water system and to propose some support for operational decision making.

A research Federation
7 Universities and Engineering Schools
11 Research Laboratories, 45 Researchers
Operational partners: Urban Community of Lyon,
Water Agency, Ministries of Equipment, Ecology and Research; Rhone-Alps Region

A long term and multidisciplinary approach
Climatology, Hydrology, Hydraulics, Soil science, Chemistry,
Biologie, Hydrobiology, Social science, Economy
Research actions linked
to end-users needs
- Rainfall distribution
- Hydraulic and pollutants loads in urban catchments during dry and wet weather
- Impact of discharges on soils, waterbodies & aquifers
- Interaction between urban and rural areas
- Development of strategies for sustainable urban water management

An original instrument of observation
based on long term monitoring systems, with on-line monitoring sensors and samplers, dedicated to the global assessment of rainfall impact
5 experimental catchments in Lyon agglomeration, representative of :
- Urban and peri-urban areas,
- Combined and separate sewers systems,
- CSOs, retention and infiltration tanks,
- Impacts on small periurban watercourses and aquifers.

A strong effort devoted to results dissemination
- Web site
- Technical sessions for operators (technicians & decision-makers)
- Scientifc international workshops
- Periodic meetings between OTHU researchers
- Scientific and technical publications

Scientific partners
Cemagref
Ecole Centrale de LYON
ENTPE
INSA LYON
UCLB
Université Jean Moulin

Secretariat : GRAIE - infos @ othu.org
last revised in September 2004

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