49109 Engineered Natural Water Treatment Systems

Current approaches to environmental management of land and water resources increasingly focus on engineered natural systems for many types of wastewaters. They seek to enhance the natural biogeochemical environment for the treatment of hazardous contaminants. These systems include stabilisation ponds, effluent irrigation and wetlands. They are applied to stormwater management, septic effluent, and polluted surface and groundwater. The effective design of these systems requires the ability to predict the behavior of a chemical substance in a soil- or aquatic-based system. This subject examines a range of engineered natural systems and how the characteristics of various wastewaters impact upon contaminant reactivity within those engineered environmental systems. Students develop an understanding of the selection, design and operation of these systems.

Assessment: Quizzes (10 per cent), assignment (20 per cent), project (50 per cent), oral exam (20 per cent).