Question

Identify an example of a water resource engineering application. Then use that example to illustrate the differences in the concepts of water quantity and water quality. Be as specific as you can.

Answer 1

Water resource engineering example:

Water resources engineering is a specialization of civil engineering. Environmental and water resources engineering means groundwater and surface water, hydraulics and waterways, irrigation and drainage, planning and management of water resources, urban water resources, water supply, storm water, and watershed sciences. At SHN, water resources projects include flood control and drainage design, pollution elimination permitting, and low impact development (LID).

LID is design and practice that mimics natural processes to protect water quality and aquatic habitat; the overall concept is to “preserve, restore, and create green space using soils, vegetation, and rainwater harvest techniques” (US EPA 2016). Examples of LID design elements are bioretention ponds, rain gardens, native vegetation swales and permeable pavements. LID projects are generally designed to utilize storm water as a resource and not a waste that should be channeled offsite as quickly as possible.