ENCI634-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025

Engineering Chemistry for Water Systems

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 February 2025
End Date: Sunday, 22 June 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 2 March 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 11 May 2025

Description

Application of principles of physical chemistry to the description and composition of natural waters and engineering treatment of drinking water and wastewater. Studies of acid/base chemistry, complexation, precipitation, and oxidation-reduction potential chemistry.

Who is this course designed for:

1. Students studying in non-water MCivEng endorsements wanting a course to add breadth to their studies (e.g., students studying concrete or environmental effects of architectural choices)

2. Students planning to take courses that require this course as a pre-requisite

3. Students studying for the Water Eng. endorsement who will receive fundamental knowledge applicable to a wide variety of water problems.

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain how water chemistry processes impact water quality.

  • Apply the principles of solution chemistry to natural waters and engineered treatment of drinking water and wastewater.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the Programme Director

Timetable Note

There will be weekly on-line tutorials, starting in Week 3. The tentative date/time for
these is Thursdays, 10-11 am, and so the first tutorial will be on Thursday 6 March. These will be
held through Learn using Microsoft Teams and all students must be enrolled to reach the tutorial. A
small part of the course marks are based on tutorial participation.

Course Coordinator

Hamish Mackey

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Assignments 30%
final exam 30%
Application Report or Grp lab report 10%
Test 25%
Weekly tutorials 5%


1. Assignments
30 %

2a. Group laboratory report or 2b. MINTEQ report
10 % / 10%

3. Weekly tutorials
5 %

4. Test
25 %

5. Examination
30 %

1. Assignments: completed individually and submitted on Learn.  One assignment will be submitted during the block.  The first assignment will be due on Wed. 6 March.

2. Short reports
2a. Laboratory report:  How to limit iron in groundwater wells?  Explore amount of oxidant needed for treatment.  Apply reduction-oxidation concepts.  Use MINTEQ to check against laboratory results.
2b. MINTEQ:  Go through a series of MINTEQ exercises and answer short questions.  

3. Weekly tutorials:  A total of 5% is available for attendance and readiness to participate in the weekly tutorials.

4. & 5. Test and Examination: Three hours each; to be held using Learn and Zoom for monitoring.

Textbooks / Resources

Required Texts

Snoeyink and Jenkins; Water chemistry ; Wiley, 1980.

Water Chemistry, by Snoeyink and Jenkins, John Wiley, 1980. All students are expected to obtain access to the book and read the assigned sections. I have a limited number of copies I can provide to students. In addition to personal and library copies, copies can be purchased used through abebooks.com, bookfinder.com or other used booksellers.

Notes

Preparation: Students who have taken an introductory environmental engineering course (e.g.,
ENCN281 or equivalent) will have had adequate preparation. The course builds on High School or
Intermediate Year Chemistry. Students are assumed to have been introduced to the concepts of
equilibrium chemistry (eg, solubility products, Le Chatelier’s principle, balancing equations,
conversions from mass to moles), though they are assumed to be in need of practice in their
application. Students are expected to be able to solve simultaneous equations and first order
differential equations. A series of on-line quizzes are provided to check on students’ preparation for
this course.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,268.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

Minimum enrolments

This course will not be offered if fewer than 5 people apply to enrol.

For further information see Civil and Environmental Engineering .

All ENCI634 Occurrences

  • ENCI634-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025