Water Resources Engineering Lecture Note

Water resources engineering is the study and management of equipment, facilities and techniques that are used to manage and preserve life’s most plentiful resource. In addition to assessing how and the best ways in which to control water as it pertains to water-related activities – such as irrigation, waste disposal and canal development – water resource engineers are also frequently involved in water management to ensure that it’s safe to drink both for humans, plants and animal usage. As previously referenced, surface water makes up about 71% of the planet, which is the equivalent of roughly 326 million cubic miles. At the same time, though, just 3% of the Earth’s water is fresh, according to the Bureau of Reclamation. And of this total, 2.5% of it is out of reach, contained in the soil, polar ice caps, the atmosphere and glaciers or too polluted to use safely.

Water resource engineers may be tasked with the awesome responsibility of ensuring that the planning and management of available water supply are adequately leveraged and remain safe to use for as long as possible. They may also be involved in water treatment so that the quality of water is improved upon for various end uses, whether that’s recreationally, commercially or industrially.