Wastewater engineering is a branch of engineering that focuses on water supply management for human and environmental health. It can cover a wide range of topics, from obtaining safe drinking water to environmentally friendly wastewater management. Specialists in this field typically hold a master’s degree and can work on a variety of projects, including the design of treatment facilities, the development of new processing equipment and techniques, and a variety of other topics. On a daily basis, wastewater engineers supervise activities at treatment plants.
Wastewater comes from a variety of places, including residential, commercial, and industrial waste streams, which can contain anything from feces to chemicals. The collection of waste through centralized sewer systems, delivery to treatment plants, and processing to remove contaminants are all part of wastewater engineering. These contaminants can be dealt with in a number of ways, and the cleaned water can be discharged, used for landscaping, or put to other uses. In areas with limited water supplies, creative uses for treated water are especially common, as reclaimed water can replace fresh sources of water and reduce the demand for new water supplies.
In rural areas where sewer connections are not available, this field also includes the management of septic tanks and leachfields. Septic systems and new techniques for handling septic systems can be designed by wastewater engineers to keep rural water supplies safe and reduce the risk of environmental problems caused by the uncontrolled release of raw sewage. Many communities rely on rivers, lakes, streams, and underground deposits to meet their water needs, so protecting water resources is critical.
Installation and maintenance of treatment and reclamation plants in industrial settings is another aspect of wastewater engineering. Large amounts of water are required for cooling towers and other applications at facilities such as power plants. Rather than bringing in fresh water on a continuous basis, these facilities could potentially clean and recycle their wastewater to reduce water consumption. A specialist in this field can create a system that is suitable for the job.
Wastewater treatment necessitates a variety of processing techniques to remove contaminants in the water, such as solids and liquid chemicals that may have dispersed through wastewater. Plants must also be prepared for high usage loads, which may result in overflow and other issues. An engineer is required to keep a well-maintained sewage plant running smoothly, to address problems before they arise, and to plan for future service expansion, which is a requirement for most sewage treatment facilities as communities grow.