This UNIX based software package is an advanced water resource simulation tool that incorporates numerous models and analyses for easy access to advanced tools for data analysis, simulation modeling, rule-based assessment, and multicriteria decision support for a broad range of water resources management problems.

WaterWare is implemented in an open, object-oriented architecture; it supports the seamless integration of databases, GIS, models, and analytical tools into a common sense, easy-to-use framework. This includes a multimedia user interface with Internet access, a hybrid GIS with hierarchical map layers, object data bases, time series analysis, reporting functions, an embedded expert system, and a hypermedia help-and-explain system. Real-time data management, modeling, forecasting, and reporting, and support for operational management are provided with a real-time expert system.

Designed to be a highly detailed operation analysis tool at shorter timesteps (hourly to daily). Strongly linked to water quality modeling of instream flows to determine optimal wastewater loading strategies as well as related engineering, environmental, and economic aspects.

WaterWare includes a number of simulation and optimization models and related tools, including a rainfall-runoff and water budget model, an irrigation water demand estimation model, dynamic and stochastic water quality models, a groundwater flow and transport model, a water resources allocation model, and an expert system for environmental impact and assessment.

Extensive data requirements.

Geographic: background maps with administrative boundaries, land use; river network (geometry) graph and segment geometry (cross sections, roughness) for all channel based models.

River Basin Objects: these include classes such as subcatchments, aquifers, lakes and reservoirs, cities, industries, agricultural areas and irrigation districts, representing the nodes in the river network; for each object, and depending on the type of object, data on water demand, use, consumptive use, and wastewater generation (pollution loads) are required.

For aquifers: basic hydrogeological data are required; for reservoirs, morphometry and operating rules.

Hydrological and Meteorological: Time series of basic hydrometeorological data (hourly to daily) covering at least one year or the period of interest for the long-term models), temperature and precipitation, optionally relative humidity, wind speeds,. cloud cover and solar radiation, potential evapotranspiration.

Water Quality: hourly to daily observation data from one or more water quality observation stations; station location and regular time series for each parameter.

Economic: Discrete cost functions (investment and operational costs) for a set of alternative waste water treatment technologies.

River Thames in England, Lerma Chapala in Mexico, West Bank and Gaza in Palestine, Kelantan River in Malaysia and Yangtze River in China. River basins and coastal zones in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Tunisia.

Environmental Software and Services, GmbH

P.O. Box 100 A-2352 Gumpoldskirchen, Austria; Tel: 43225263305; Fax: 432252633059;
website: http://www.ess.co.at/WATERWARE/.

WaterWare: A Water Resources Management Information System — Palestinian case study. Available from Environmental Software and Services, GmbH, P.O. Box 100 A-2352 Gumpoldskirchen, Austria.