Water and Environmental Engineering

By: Mary O'Connell

the students with Randwick City council engineer Paul Tatham

In today’s environment, where water has become a key political issue, both national and global, the management of urban water cycles involves not just engineering and financial considerations but also must take ecological, social and local concerns into account. With this in mind, fourth year environmental engineering students at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering have been working with Randwick City Council’s Sustainable City Team to explore some creative local solutions to water cycle management in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.

Dr Greg Peters, senior lecturer and course coordinator, said the work with Council was a great opportunity for students to participate in a local community project and to apply the most up to date framework for sustainable decision making in urban water systems.

Last year environmental engineering students explored the possibility of rainwater tanks for Council’s own administrative buildings. This year students investigated the stormwater collection arrangements at Pioneers Park near Malabar Beach, a large park of nearly 12,000 ha used by many local sporting groups and by dog walkers. Currently a large amount of rainfall runoff is captured at the Park by a gross pollutant trap and then channelled into the ocean.

Students were asked to explore alternative uses of this valuable water resource. They were required to assess the financial cost and environmental performance and outcomes of any environmental engineering solutions. One option which evolved was to recycle the water for grey water purposes on the site, to use as flush toilets for the public.

Students used the Water Services Association of Australia’s Sustainability Framework; a methodology for urban water planning developed by academic researchers at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and published earlier this year by WSAA. The Association represents urban water utilities which provide water services to more than fifteen million Australians. The Sustainability Framework provides a how to guide for urban water professionals to plan and design sustainable engineering projects, working always in consultation with community and key stakeholders.

The School also offers a sustainability assessment course for postgraduates. For more information see

http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/postgraduate/courses/2008/CVEN9892.html

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