ENVIRONMENTAL AND SANITARY ENGINEERING 👷👷👷 | Definition, Subjects,

Duties, Career Opportunities and Sub-fields

i. What is Environmental and Sanitary Engineering?

Environmental and Sanitary Engineering is a profession that involves planning, design,

management, construction, operation, maintenance in the fields of water supply engineering,
solid waste management, sewage and wastewater engineering, environmental management
and engineering, plumbing, fire protection and public health engineering all in accordance with
governing laws, code of ethics and local and global technological trends and developments.

○ is a professional engineering discipline that takes from broad scientific topics like chemistry,
biology, ecology, geology, hydraulics, hydrology, microbiology, and mathematics to create solutions
that will protect and also improves the health of living organisms and improve the quality of the
environment.

○ is the application of engineering methods to improve sanitation of human communities, primarily

by providing the removal and disposal of human waste, and in addition to the supply of safe potable
water.

○ is the application of scientific and engineering principles to improve and maintain the environment
to:

‣ protect human health,

‣ protect nature's beneficial ecosystems,

‣ and improve environmental-related enhancement of the quality of human life.

ii. Fundamental Subjects:

The fundamental subjects of environmental and sanitary engineering
usually include:
‣ Algebra (College and Advanced), Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry,
Calculus (Differential and Integral), General Chemistry and Physics
Subject
‣ General Engineering Subjects (e.g., Statics, Dynamics, Strength of
Materials, Thermodynamics, Engineering Management, Fluid
Mechanics, Materials Science, Computer Fundamentals, Engineering
Entrepreneurship and Engineering Economics)
‣ Project Management
‣ Hydraulics
‣ Microbiology and Parasitology
‣ Environmental and Sanitary Chemistry
‣ Environmental Engineering Laboratory
‣ Engineering Geology
‣ Ecology and Environmental Pollution
‣ Higher Surveying
 ‣ Environmental Science and Engineering
‣ Structural Theory
‣ Public Health Engineering
‣ Principles of Reinforced/ Prestressed Concrete
‣ Geotechnical Engineering (Soil Mechanics)
‣ Sanitary Science, Fire Protection and Plumbing
‣ Environmental Planning, Laws and Impact Assessment
‣ Sewerage and Drainage Engineering
‣ Water Purification Process Design
‣ Sewage and Industrial Wastewater Treatment
‣ Water Supply Planning and Development
‣ Solid and Hazardous Waste Engineering

iii. What Do Environmental and Sanitary Engineers Do?

Environmental and sanitary engineers use the principles of engineering, soil science, biology, and
chemistry to develop solutions to environmental problems.

○ They are involved in efforts to improve recycling, waste disposal, public health, and water and
air pollution control.

○ They devise solutions for waste water management, water and air pollution control,
recycling, waste disposal, and public health.
They design municipal water supply and industrial wastewater treatment systems, and design plans
to prevent waterborne diseases and improve sanitation in urban, rural and recreational areas.

○ They evaluate hazardous-waste management systems to evaluate the severity of such hazards,
advise on treatment and containment, and develop regulations to prevent mishaps.

○ They study the effect of technological advances on the environment, addressing local and
worldwide environmental issues such as acid rain, global warming, ozone depletion, water pollution
and air pollution from automobile exhausts and industrial sources.

○ They implement environmental engineering law, as in assessing the environmental impact of

proposed construction projects.

○ They design and direct the construction and operation of hygienic projects such as waterworks,
sewage, garbage, and trash disposal plants.

○ Tasks that environmental engineers might take on include:

 ‣Designing operating procedures for drinking water dams to
ensure that water supply and water quality are maintained or
improved.

‣Planning and improving sewage treatment plants to ensure they

operate efficiently and with minimal adverse impacts on people
and the environment.

‣Advising governments and regional bodies on interventions to

improve water quality in lakes and rivers.

‣ Working within industry to reduce emissions of contaminants to

air, water and land from factories, mines and processing plants.

‣Designing waste disposal facilities such as landfills, incinerators

or toxic waste handling facilities to ensure that they do not
contaminate the environment.

‣ Assessing the extent of existing contamination in the

environment (for example, after an oil spill or nuclear accident, or
from past industrial activity) and working out how to remediate it.

‣ Designing flood mitigation measures and coastal developments.

‣ Analyzing operating methods of business firms and public facilities in order to determine
their needs for safe disposal of waste products such as sewage, garbage, trash and waste
water.

‣ Designing and proposing systems for disposal and treatment of waste products.

‣ Estimating the costs and manage the system construction by subcontractors.

‣ Planning the development of watersheds and the construction of aquaducts, filtration

plants and storage and distribution systems for water supplies.
‣ Directing swamp drainage projects.
 iv. Specializations:
Coastal Engineering - involves aspects of civil engineering and
focuses on risks and demands posed by any development
along a coastline.
Geophysical Engineering - examines the methods involved in extracting
various resources from the earth, including minerals, gases, and oil.
Water Resources Engineering

Water resources engineering - focuses on the creation of new

equipment for managing water resources.

Ocean Engineering - focuses on the ocean environment and acts as a

connecting piece between various other sciences, including marine
biology and oceanography, among others.
Ecological Engineering - emphasizes the construction, design, and
monitoring of various ecosystems. One of the main goals of ecological
engineering is to help the human population better integrate with its
surrounding ecosystems.

by: Engr. Nick Salomon, CEO of INHINYERO.org

References:
- "10 Advancements in Environmental Engineering". HowStuffWorks. 2014-05-18.
Retrieved 2019-03-23.
"Architecture and Engineering Occupations". Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of
Labor Statistics. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
"10 Advancements in Environmental Engineering". HowStuffWorks. 2014-05-18.
Retrieved 2019-03-23.
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2018/08/17/what-do-environmental-engineers-
do/#706aa0664b7d
- https://www.onlineengineeringprograms.com/faq/what-does-environmental-engineer-do