CEE 4394 : URBAN WATER SUSTAINABILITY
Course Description :

Topics in urban water sustainability, including climate change and the supply of freshwater, benefits and co-benefits of stormwater capture and reuse, decentralized water and wastewater treatment systems, fit-for-purpose water, wastewater recycling, and environmental water needs. All topics in urban water sustainability will be addressed through a coupled social-ecological-engineering lens.

Specific Course Objectives :
  • Apply urban water transitions theory to describe the evolution of urban water systems through time.
  • Diagram urban water systems using socio-hydrologic feedback loops.
  • Discuss approaches for improving urban water system sustainability and resilience.
  • Describe urbanization, environmental justice, climate, and water security challenges facing urban water systems.
  • Evaluate the differences between centralized and distributed water infrastructure.
  • Define urban water productivity in relation to the soft path for water and describe ways to maximize it.
  • Create causal chain diagrams using ecosystem services principles.
  • Apply statistical computing to evaluate urban water systems.
Hours & Credits :
3H, 3C
Semester Offered :
Spring
Course Comment :
Undergraduate background in environmental engineering, hydrology, socio-hydrology, ecology, or social ecology.