Students

CIVL2101 – Water and Wastewater Engineering

2025 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convener/Lecturer
Bandita Mainali
bandita.mainali@mq.edu.au
Room 237, 3MD
Appointment via email or Wednesdays from 2 pm to 4 pm.
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
CIVL1001 or MECH1001
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

The objective of this unit is to introduce students to principles and processes involved in contaminants removal from drinking water and wastewater. Theory and conceptual design of systems for treating drinking water and municipal wastewater are discussed. Specific topics in water engineering include introduction to water resources, pollution in different types of water bodies, different water treatment processes, design and implementation, and drinking water regulations. Specific topics in wastewater engineering include introduction to wastewater treatment and process analysis, wastewater characteristics, wastewater flowrates and constituent loadings, physical, chemical, biological unit processes, disinfection, and wastewater treatment process selection, design and implementation. As a part of this unit, students will complete various design tasks in team projects for developing engineering solutions in designing water and wastewater treatment facilities.

Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Clean Water and Sanitation; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Climate Action

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Use parameters to characterize the constituents of drinking water and municipal wastewater.
  • ULO2: Explain physical, chemical and biological unit operations in treatment processes.
  • ULO3: Select and apply appropriate options to design processes for treating drinking water and municipal wastewater based on engineering concepts.
  • ULO4: Communicate outcomes of analysing and designing different water and wastewater treatment processes in professionally varied ways.

General Assessment Information

Grading and passing requirements for the unit

To pass this unit, a student must obtain a mark of 50 or more for the unit (i.e., get a passing grade P/ CR/ D/ HD).

For more details about grading, please refer to the policies and procedures section.

Late submissions

Online quizzes, in-class activities, or scheduled tests must be undertaken at the time indicated in the unit guide. Should these activities be missed due to illness or misadventure, students may apply for Special Consideration.

All other assessments must be submitted by 5:00 pm on their due date.

Late assessments are not accepted in this unit unless a Special Consideration has been submitted and approved.

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable, and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the written assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through ask.mq.edu.au.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Mid-Term Quiz 30% No Week 8
Project Report on Design of Wastewater Treatment Plant 40% No Week 12
Project Presentation 30% No Week 13

Mid-Term Quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 26 hours
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 30%

 

This quiz will assess your ability to characterize the constituents of drinking water and municipal wastewater using relevant parameters, explain key physical, chemical, and biological treatment processes, and apply appropriate engineering concepts to design suitable treatment options. It will consist of multiple-choice, short-answer, and problem-solving questions, testing both conceptual understanding and the application of knowledge in practical scenarios.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Use parameters to characterize the constituents of drinking water and municipal wastewater.
  • Explain physical, chemical and biological unit operations in treatment processes.
  • Select and apply appropriate options to design processes for treating drinking water and municipal wastewater based on engineering concepts.

Project Report on Design of Wastewater Treatment Plant

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 46 hours
Due: Week 12
Weighting: 40%

 

The project report will assess your ability to characterize the constituents of drinking water and municipal wastewater, design key treatment processes, and apply appropriate engineering concepts to design suitable treatment options. You will also be expected to communicate your analysis and design outcomes effectively through a professionally structured report, demonstrating both technical understanding and clear, purpose-driven communication. 

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Use parameters to characterize the constituents of drinking water and municipal wastewater.
  • Explain physical, chemical and biological unit operations in treatment processes.
  • Select and apply appropriate options to design processes for treating drinking water and municipal wastewater based on engineering concepts.
  • Communicate outcomes of analysing and designing different water and wastewater treatment processes in professionally varied ways.

Project Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 30%

 

The project presentation will assess your ability to analyse and design drinking water and municipal wastewater treatment processes by applying relevant parameters and engineering concepts. You will also be evaluated on your ability to clearly and professionally communicate your project outcomes, demonstrating understanding of treatment operations and the rationale behind your design choices. 

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Use parameters to characterize the constituents of drinking water and municipal wastewater.
  • Explain physical, chemical and biological unit operations in treatment processes.
  • Select and apply appropriate options to design processes for treating drinking water and municipal wastewater based on engineering concepts.
  • Communicate outcomes of analysing and designing different water and wastewater treatment processes in professionally varied ways.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Textbook(s):

Wastewater Engineering Fifth Edition

Treatment and Resource Recovery

By: Inc. Metcalf & Eddy, George Tchobanoglous, H. David Stensel, Ryujiro Tsuchihashi, Franklin L. Burton

 

Online Platform:

The iLearn Page will provide all necessary information related to the subject.

Equipment Required:

  1. Scientific Calculator: A high-quality scientific calculator is essential for this course. You are also expected to familiarise yourself with its various functions and operations.
  2. Personal Device (Laptop/Tablet/Mobile Phone): A personal device, such as a laptop, tablet, or mobile phone, is necessary for accessing the iLearn resources.

Ensure you procure these resources and familiarise yourself with the online platform before our first class for an optimal learning experience.

Unit Schedule

Teaching Schedule for Semester 2, 2025 (subject to minor changes)

Lectures:  Tuesday 10 am- 12 pm (Online Via ZOOM)

Workshops/Practicals: Tuesday 1 pm- 3 pm (Venue- 01 Central Courtyard 207);

                                     Wednesday 9 am – 11 am (Venue- 01 Central Courtyard 207)

                                     Wednesday 11 am – 1 pm (Venue- 01 Central Courtyard 207)

 

Week

Lecture topics

(Online Delivery)

 (SGTA)

Workshops /Practicals

Assessment

1

Unit General Information: Introduction to Wastewater Engineering and process analysis, including reaction rates and kinetics

  NO SGTA

 

2

Week 1 review; Types of reactors; Wastewater sources and productions, including- Wastewater flow rates and constituent loading

SGTA

The Project Brief will be issued in Week 2.

 

3

Wastewater Characteristics

SGTA (ESCAPE ROOM ACTIVITY 1)

Project Groups will also be assigned in Week 3.

 

 

 

4

Wastewater treatment process selection and design, including:

Physical Unit processes

SGTA 

Week 4 QUIZ 1 (Formative Quiz)

(Ungraded formative quiz 1)

 

5

Fundamentals of biological treatment, including:

Suspended growth biological treatment

Attached growth and combined biological treatment

SGTA and QUIZ 1 Review

 

 

6

Wastewater treatment process selection and design, including:

Biological treatment part 2

Group updates on their project +SGTA

Week 6 QUIZ 2 (Formative Quiz)

(Ungraded Formative Quiz 2)

7

Wastewater treatment process selection and design, including:

Biological treatment part 3 (-Nitrification, Denitrification)

SGTA (ESCAPE ROOM ACTIVITY 2) + Revision and Consultation

 

8 

GUEST LECTURE

Mid-Term Quiz 

Mid-Term Quiz 30%

 

SEMESTER BREAK

SEMESTER BREAK

 

9

Wastewater treatment process selection and design, including:

Chemical Treatment

Separation processes for removal of residual constituents

SGTA + Wastewater treatment plant Site Visit (Virtual Tour)

 

10

Disinfection processes and treatment of sludges, including:

Biosolids processing, resource recovery, and beneficial use

Emerging contaminants

 

SGTA

 

11

 Advanced water treatment process Part 1

SGTA  (ESCAPE ROOM ACTIVITY 3)

 

12

Advanced water treatment process Part 2

SGTA 

Project Report 40%

13

Revision and consultation

Group presentation

Project Presentation 30%

 

Refer to iLearn for more information.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Engineers Australia Competency Mapping

EA Competency Standard

Unit Learning Outcomes

 

 

Knowledge and Skill Base

1.1 Comprehensive, theory-based understanding of the underpinning fundamentals applicable to the engineering discipline.

ULO1, ULO2

 

 

1.2 Conceptual understanding of underpinning maths, analysis, statistics, computing.

ULO2, ULO3

 

 

1.3 In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge

ULO2, ULO3

 

 

1.4 Discernment of knowledge development and research directions

ULO3

 

 

1.5 Knowledge of engineering design practice

ULO2, ULO3

 

 

1.6 Understanding of scope, principles, norms, accountabilities of sustainable engineering practice.

  

 

 

Engineering Application Ability

2.1 Application of established engineering methods to complex problem solving

ULO1, ULO2, ULO3

 

 

2.2 Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.

ULO1, ULO2, ULO3

 

 

2.3 Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes.

ULO3

 

 

2.4 Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects.

  

 

 

Professional and Personal Attributes

3.1 Ethical conduct and professional accountability.

  

 

 

3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.

ULO4

 

 

3.3 Creative, innovative and pro-active demeanour.

ULO3

 

 

3.4 Professional use and management of information.

 

 

 

3.5 Orderly management of self, and professional conduct.

  

 

 

3.6 Effective team membership and team leadership

ULO3, ULO4

 

 

Unit information based on version 2024.05 of the Handbook

Unit information based on version 2025.04 of the Handbook