Environmental Engineering

Engineering is defined as the science based profession by which the physical forces of nature and the properties of

matter are made useful to mankind in the form of structures, machines, and other products or processes at a reasonable cost

of money and time. An engineer is a person trained or skilled in designing and planning the performance of such equipment

as machines and structures and in supervising their performance.

An Environmental (or sanitary) Engineer is concerned with the water and sewage treatment as well as the resi-

dential and industrial wastes. Environmental engineers are trained in preventing, evaluating, and solving environmental

problems. To be successful, environmental engineers must combine technical knowledge with effective communication

skills in day-to-day work and be able to communicate effictively with people of all types if they are to succeed in solving all

of the problems facing them. The protection of rivers and lakes is part of their responsibility. In this profession, a know-

ledge of chemistry and biology must be added to the engineering base. There are many different jobs that the enviorn-

mental engineers have to do. First, there is Water Quality. Protecting the quality of water required for human use and

environmental protection is an important role for environmental engineers. Increasingly severe quality standards for drink-

ing water, wastewater, pollutant, and groundwater require engineers and scientists trained in the theory and practice of

water and wastewater treatment. In addition, environmental engineers must be able to predict the fate of contaminants in

multimedia enironments in order to measure the effects of pollution on humans and ecosystems. Water quality engineering

involves the application of environmental chemistry, microbiology and physics together with modeling and process engin-

eering to address these areas.

Second, there is Hazardous Waste Managment. Many industrial societies produce and dispose of significant

amounts of hazardous materials. In sufficient treatment, storage and disposal have resulted in many uncontrolled contami-

nant releases to the environment. Innovative engineering solutions are needed for liquid, gaseous and solid hazardous waste

streams as well as for contaminated site remediation. It is the job of environmental engineers to understand and solve

these waste problems.

Third, there is Air Quality. Air pollution is a big problem in society today. Environmental engineers solve air pol-

lution problems across a range of scales, with particular focus on indoor environments and urban air basins. They also have

to understand the physical and chemical processes that determine the concentrations, fates, and effects of air pollutants; they