Long time ago, probably up to present, public water facilities were part of civil engineer’s project. Water supply and wastewater drainage were among the job whose civil engineers do to preserve environment and protect human health.
Environmental Engineering I
Civil Engineering-civilization
Civilization is the most important keword of this post. Through western civilization settled agriculture and the development of agricultural skills created a cooperative social fabric and spawned the growth of communities, as well as changed the face of the earth with its overriding impact on the natural environment. Civilization had contributed to the change of our natural landscape to more “artificial” one. Thus it produced both positive and negative impact to the natural habitat.
Environmental Engineer as profession
The general objectives and golas of colleges adn universities are to allow students to mature intelectually and socially and to prepare for careers, especially for environmental engineering profession that are rewarding. The chosen vocation is ideally an avocation as well. Having a job like an environmental engineer, we should take it as an enjoyable job and approaching it with enthusiasm, even after experiencing many of the ever-present bumps in the path. Be love and enjoy is the key, not only for environmental engineering field but apply to other kind of jobs.
Ecology: its term and concept
Definition: ecology
Ecology is the science of the relationships between organisms and their environments, defined by thefreedictionary. More explanation provided by wikipedia, as ecology is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of living organisms and their interactions each other. Ecosystems, as part of ecology, is interdependent populations of organisms interacting with their physical and chemical environment. Ecosystem interactions can also include more than two species.
Public health: short history
Industrial revolution had changed everything including lifestyle, mindset throughout industry world as well as on sanitation condition. The sanitation condition was very sad, at least this was expressed in the Report from the Poor Law Commissioners on an Inquiry into the Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population of Great Britain. Implicitly this was represented by philosophy of Edwin Chadwick (1800–1890) who viewed the improvement of drainage, housing and water supply as an essential national economic good, as it prevented the early deaths of working men. The sanitation condition at that time was described:
Wastewater treatment plant: the beginning
As you probably already aware, waste disposal methods had been found from ancient time. Sewers were found in the prehistoric cities of Crete and ancient Assyrian areas. Sewers built by the Romans, although at the first were mainly for carrying storm water, but in practice sewers were used to carry organic matter because of dumping refuse by the Romans, and this organic was carried along with the rainwater runoff. There are various pictures you might like about Roman’s disposal system in Lynn Wastewater treatment plant world history.
Sewer, sewerage… in history
On the early application of human waste disposal, nuisance and health problem always be primary effect caused by such activity. Just imagine, often the method of disposal consisted of nothing more than flinging out the content of the pots out the window!
Water treatment: impure water, back to history
Impure water is a water that contaminated by unwanted elements. It can be particles, colloids, debris. Of course, for both drinking water or clean water for household activities, these impurities are not wanted. Thus, it is important for us to treat source water to remove these elements. That is why we need water treatment.
Engineer Term: Civil and Environmental Engineer
We know that most part especially throughout europe and US, environmental engineering is usually part of civil engineering. This is because inside civil engineering, contains information, field of study which are now studied under environmental engineering. Upon graduation, we will be designated a “engineer” title. The term of civil engineer title itself came from a long history.
Environmental Engineering Roots
Environmental engineering is a relatively new profession with a long and honorable history. The title of “Environmental engineer” interestingly was not used until 1960s in US, when academic programs in engineering and public health schools broadened their scope and wanted to have special and accurate title to describe their material and courses. Thus, the differentiation between environmental engineer and public health or other engineering part hopefully become more clear.