Water engineering is vital to our everyday lives. Water engineers do not just deal with flooding, but with distribution and sewerage. Water infrastructure takes many forms and is important to the popultation's well being.
Explanation and Background
Water is one of our most important natural resources. It is a renewable resource which benefits from a natural cycle of replenishment; however, it is arguably the resource that is most taken for granted. This is particularly so in the UK, where we see water gush out of the taps in our homes without truly understanding where our water originates from and what it takes to deliver that water from source to our homes.
Water engineering involves abstraction, capture, treatment and distribution of water and that is not only for the water that serves our homes. Water is also used by agriculture and industry and is vitally important for the wealth and health of the nation.
In order to fulfil this role, water engineering is constantly evolving as a discipline. There are high levels of innovation required to work with the water industry. People expect water to always be present in their homes; therefore, water engineers strive to ensure that distribution is consistent by reducing leakage and improving sewerage. Water suffers from natural phenomena such as flooding and drought. These constant, naturally-induced challenges keep water engineers incredibly busy and mean that they are at the forefront of the civil engineering profession.
The Water Engineer
From capturing, treating and distributing water, through to managing waste water and sewerage, water engineers plan, develop and manage our water resources to meet society's needs. In the last few years, events in Worcester, Cumbria and Cornwall have highlighted the real threat that flooding poses to the UK’s communities and infrastructure. Engineers specialising in flooding ensure that the UK is prepared and protected for flood events.
Water engineers work across the public and private sector. Many water engineers work for Local Authorities and government departments as well as in the many internationally recognised water consultancies based in the UK. There is also a strong presence of water engineering academics in the UK’s universities.
Water Infrastructure
Storage
Dams are typically manmade enclosures which serve to hold back water which often forms into lakes or reservoirs. The main types of dams are embankment dams, buttress dams, gravity dams and arch dams.
The reservoirs that form behind dams are important for storing water. The importance of water storage should not be underestimated. By maintaining stocks of water, it is possible to cope with intermittent rainfall.
Distribution & Supply
Drinking water treatment plants, drinking water distribution lines, sewer lines and storage facilities provide potable water to homes and businesses. They also remove used water from homes and send it to treatment plants or discharge it safely back into water courses.
Flood Defence
Flood defences range from barriers, dams, guards, and gates. Defending from flooding is vitally important in order to maintain the efficient operation of other types of infrastructure. The inter-connectivity between energy, waste, transport and water infrastructure means that withstanding levels of flooding without other infrastructure failing is fundamental to our everyday lives and the economic development of the UK.
The Thames Barrier is one of the most famous flood defence constructs. It is used during high tides or storm surges to prevent flooding in London.
Irrigation
Irrigation is used to provide water for crop production and landscape maintenance. There are various types of irrigation including surface irrigation, gravity fed irrigation, drip irrigation, and sprinkler irrigation. Food security and water security are inherently linked. If we fail to provide enough water for agriculture then we put our ability to grow crops for food in serious danger. We already import a significant amount of water in the food and goods that we buy from other nations. Although this is beneficial to world trade we must endure that we maintain an element of food security.
Wastewater Treatment
Wastewater treatment involves the removal of contaminants from wastewater and effluents. There are various processes which are used to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants. Once these processes have taken place treated effluent and sludge remain. These can be suitable for discharge or reuse back into the environment.