ENVENG 331 : Three Waters: Quality and Treatment

Engineering

2025 Semester Two (1255) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Drinking-water treatment, stormwater and agricultural runoffs, biological wastewater treatment, small-scale water treatment systems, nutrient removal, micropollutants, emerging contaminants, water quality standards.

Course Overview

The content of this course is divided into three major parts.  The first two parts are constructed based on conventional water and wastewater treatment design practices, while the third part is more focused on emerging issues and new technologies that fall within the realm of sustainable water management for all three-waters, including stormwater.  Upon completing this course, students will have a thorough understanding of the utilities of various physical, chemical, and biological processes currently applied in drinking-water and municipal wastewater treatment processes.  Students will also be able to conduct open engineering designs based on process fundamentals.  Furthermore, students shall be familiar with emerging technologies and approaches in the sustainable water management area, including treatment for stormwater and agricultural runoffs.

The course consists of weekly lectures and three design assignments. In addition, you will be expected to learn from additional reading, problem-solving, and other work outside formal contact hours.  The course is well supported by the recommended texts, which also provide a good source of additional problems.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Apply apply unit operation and process principles to propose a drinking water or wastewater treatment train based on various water sources and standards. (Capability 3.2)
  2. Perform mass balance and energy flows for the conventional drinking-water and wastewater treatment processes. (Capability 3.1)
  3. Calculate chemical dosages, reactor sizes, and energy consumptions for a drinking-water or wastewater treatment plant (Capability 5.1)
  4. Explain emerging issues, novel approaches, and new concepts in drinking-water, runoffs, and wastewater treatment (Capability 8.2)
  5. Explain the needs and means of resource reclamation from water and wastewater (Capability 5.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Quizzes (8) 40% Individual Coursework
Assignments (2) 60% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
Quizzes (8)
Assignments (2)
  • A passing mark is 50% or higher, according to University policy.
  • Late submissions will not be accepted/allowed for the exam, tests, and online quizzes.  It is possible to submit late for assignments and projects, and the late submission penalty schedule will be included in the assignment and project handouts.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 36 hours of lectures, 4 hours of tutorials, 45 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and 65 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including labs/tutorials to complete components of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including seminars/tutorials/labs will be available as recordings, if possible.

The course will not include live online events.

Attendance on campus is required for the tests unless otherwise informed due to special circumstances.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

There will not be a coursebook, but a full deck of lecture slides will be available ahead of each module commencement.   

Health & Safety

Students shall observe any health and safety regulations posted by the University of Auckland, the regional government, and the central government. Students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Health and Safety section of the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

The comments from every batch of our students will be carefully reviewed and considered to improve the overall delivery of this course.  Student feedback in 2024, such as improving the drinking water module to be more consistent with the wastewater treatment module, will be addressed in 2025.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.