Water Resources Engineering

Covers the fundamentals of hydrology, hydraulics, and water systems design and
analysis from the perspective of practical applications in water management and
associated environmental and infrastructure management.
The professional field of WRE is concerned with solving problems and meeting
needs associated with municipal (or domestic), industrial and agricultural water
supply and use, water quality in streams and aquifers, erosion and sedimentation,
protection of ecosystems and other natural resources, recreation, navigation,
hydroelectric power generation, stormwater drainage, and flood control damage
mitigation.
Water resources engineering involves people, natural resources, and constructed
facilities in meeting the water-related needs of society. Water resources engineers
both:

Formulate and implement resources management strategies; and,

Plan, design, construct, and operate structures and facilities.

Water Related Infrastructure

River regulation structures Flood damage reduction measures

Wells for pumping ground water
Storage and conveyance facilities
Treatment plants
Water distribution network
Wastewater management system
Erosion in mitigation practices
Stormwater drainage system
Bridges
Hydroelectric power plants
Various other constructed facilities
Water Resources Engineering (WRE) Disciplines
Many civil engineers specialize specifically in WRE. It has the following sub-disciplines:
Hydrology the study of the occurrence, distribution, movement and properties
of waters of the earth.
Hydraulics the study of the mechanical properties of water in physical systems
and processes. Hydraulics is the practical application of the principles of fluid
mechanics in WRE.
Water resources system engineering the formulation and evaluation of
alternative plans to determine that a particular system configuration or set of
actions will best accomplish public objectives within the constraints of governing
natural laws, engineering principles, economics, environmental protection
objectives, social and political pressures, legal restrictions, and institutional and
financial capacities.
Water Resources Engineering (WRE) Disciplines
Hydrosystems engineering has been used synonymously with WRE to highlight
the system analysis perspective.
Water resources planning and management encompasses water resources
engineering, but emphasizes the interdisciplinary institutional, political, and
socioeconomic, as well as technical engineering aspects of the processes by which
society addresses its water-related problems and needs.
Environmental engineering is concerned with provision of safe, palatable and
ample water supplies; disposal or recycling of wastewater and solid wastes; control
of water, soil, and atmospheric pollution; mitigation of the adverse social and
environmental impacts of human activities; and engineering aspects of the public
health field, such as sanitation, control of anthropod-borne diseases, and
elimination of industrial health hazards.
Sanitary engineering concerned with the building, maintenance, and
development of water and sewage systems and other public health services.
1. Municipal, Industrial and Agricultural Water Supply and Recreation Purposes.
2. Irrigation.
3. Hydroelectric Power Generation.
4. Navigation.
Water is essential, human and socioeconomic welfare is dependent on adequate
supplies of suitable quality water. Conversely, too much water results in
socioeconomic damages and loss of lives and properties due to flooding.
1. Water Supply System municipal, industrial and agricultural water supply system
include sources of supply and facilities for storing, transporting and distributing
the water.
Structures:
Pipelines, pumps and open channels
Dams, reservoirs and appurtenant structures.
Constraints:
Water leakage and waste
Undetected pipeline leaks in aging water distribution systems.
Irrigation systems losses due to seepage and evaporation.
Inefficient landscaping and plumbing.

Demand Management:
Leak detection and repair
Reuse of treated wastewater
Pricing incentives
Water efficient plumbing, irrigation equipment and landscaping
Rationing as an emergency short-term measure.
2. Navigation

Constraint:
Rivers become too shallow for navigation due to siltation and sedimentation
Infrastructure Measures:
Construction of dams to create sufficient depth and lock structures to allow
boats and barges to pass through the dams.
Construction of canals to connect existing water bodies to circumvent un-
navigable portions of a river such as rapids or falls.
Dredging consisting of deepening and/or widening of a channel by removing
channel-bed material.
3. Environmental Management is concerned with minimizing the adverse effects of
human activity on the environment.
Constraint:
Environmental problems stem largely from population growth and the rising
standard of living.
Environmental Management Aspects of WRE
Wastewater collection, treatment and disposal wastewater and sewage from
homes, businesses and industries are collected, pollutants are removed from
water, and treated effluent is returned to a stream system. Developed
countries have individual sources of wastewater, on-site processing facilities,
collection network, conveyance facilities, treatment and disposal facilities.
Water quality management is concerned with the control of pollution from
human activity so that the water is not degraded to the point that it is no
longer suitable for intended use.
Regulation and enforcement.
Protection and restoration of biological resources.
4. Stormwater Management, Flood Mitigation and Control

Stormwater - Refers to runoff of precipitation from a watershed to a major stream.

Stormwater management, drainage, flood control mitigation, and mitigation of
erosion and sedimentation deal with problems caused by precipitation and runoff,
particularly during periods of excessively high rainfall.
Infrastructure and Non-Infra Measures:
Improvement of drainage systems including streets curb and gutters, ditches,
channels, streams, culverts and bridges and storm sewer networks, pipes inlets
and other appurtenant structures. Drainage improvements are necessary to
prevent ponding of water in streets, homes and properties and to collect and
convey rainfall to a stream system efficiently.
Minimize drainage clogging through proper solid waste disposal system.
4. Stormwater Management, Flood Mitigation and Control

Flood Mitigation - Settlements developed along rivers and other bodies of water.
Floodplains are natural part of the stream system and rivers overflow their banks
regularly.
Infrastructure and Non-infra Measures:
Flood control improvements
Dredging of major rivers and shallow catchment basins
Non-infrastructure measures include relocation of settlement, floodplain
delineation and delineation of hazard prone areas, watershed rehabilitation
and improvement.
4. Stormwater Management, Flood Mitigation and Control

Erosion and Sedimentation Mitigation - Erosion and transport of soil particles

called sediments by rainfall and flowing water are key processes in shaping the
landscape of a river basin. Erosion affects soil productivity and destroys farmlands,
settlements are affected, sediments fills reservoir, highway culverts, navigation
channels and contaminants that are transported effects water quality.
Infrastructure and Non-infra Measures:

Agricultural soil conservation, contouring, terracing and improved vegetation.

Streambank erosion control measures such as revetments and lining materials
(vegetation, rock riprap and concrete).