Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Chemical Engineering School
There is a diverse range of process equipment and a diverse range of process configurations used in the management of water and wastewater. Unit Operations in Urban Water Engineering deals with the design, selection and operation of process equipment or process plants used in urban water. In water management, equipment can be combined to make a "unit" in a process with a clearly defined function. For example: material transport, preliminary treatment (screening, grit and oil removal, flow equalization), primary treatment (settling and primary sludge production), biological treatment for the removal of organic substrates (activated sludge systems: concepts and design, attached growth processes, membrane bioreactors), biological nutrients removal (nitrification/denitrification, phosphorus removal, secondary settling), sludge stabilization (biological digestion and biogas production, dewatering), odour control, disinfection. The most important and basic Unit Operations within these processes are governed by the fundamental laws of mathematics, physics, chemistry, thermodynamics and mechanics, which provide an approximate description of the real processes. The 'Unit Operations' concept allows for the analysis of unit operations in terms of fundamental principles such as mass and energy balances, phase equilibria, biology; and transport of momentum, energy and mass. This course examines a systematic way for selection and detailed design of process equipment
The treatment and management of water, wastewater and biosolids is a critical part of the urban water nexus. This course builds on the fundamental principles of water and wastewater treatment by providing students advanced skills in the Unit Operations of water and wastewater technologies. The Unit Operations concept combines the thermodynamic, chemical and biological principles of water technology and translates this into the design and operation of physical equipment; and in the combination of “units” into larger processes. In WATR6108 students will learn to incorporate theoretical principles, analyse the performance of equipment and develop decision-making skills. The course therefore builds both specialist knowledge in an increasing critical subject area, and core practical skills required by engineering professionals. This course is highly specific to water and waste treatment and complements the existing CHEE3004 Unit Operations, which is more broadly applicable to chemical processes.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Background or knowledge of principles and processes used in wastewater treatment is beneficial but not essential to completing WATR6108.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
CHEE3002 or CHEE2040
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
WATR7108
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
Students completing this course should be able to integrate concepts from biological sciences, physical sciences, thermodynamics, and heat and mass transfer to make decisions on selection and design of process equipment applied for treatment of water and wastewater treatment. Example technologies and/ unit operations that may feature in the course include: Biological reactors (treatment lagoons, aerated bioreactors, granular bioreactors, membrane bioreactors, biogas reactors), Separation technologies (sedimentation tanks, clarifiers, filtration systems, adsorption columns), Disinfection technologies (serpintine contactors) and supporting equipment (heat exchangers, pumps, compressors).ﾠ
ﾠ
Students completing this course should be able to apply economic, social and environmental sustainability factors as part of the decision making and design procedure.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Technical Depth on Unit Operation applied to Water - Explain core principles and operating mechanisms of water and wastewater technologies.
LO2.
Technical Depth on Unit Operation applied to Water - Select and size physical unit operations for use in different water/wastewater applications.
LO3.
Technical Depth on Unit Operation applied to Water - Select, size and design reactor technologies and ancillary equipment for use in different water/wastewater applications.
LO4.
Technical Depth on Unit Operation applied to Water - Design new wastewater treatment plants and critically analyse existing designs - taking into account influent characteristics, effluent requirements, energy considerations, nutrient balances and space and economic constraints.
LO5.
Process Design Skills and Application - Define process objectives and design criteria at multiple system levels, from overall processes to sub sections to individual equipment.
LO6.
Process Design Skills and Application - Source, filter and critically analyse information required for the design of water management processes and equipment.
LO7.
Process Design Skills and Application - Perform process and equipment design calculations that are realistic and meet design criteria.
LO8.
Process Design Skills and Application - Evaluate equipment types and equipment designs against process requirements/design criteria.
LO9.
Process Design Skills and Application - Develop high-level control and operating strategies for processes and process equipment.
LO10.
Process Design Skills and Application - Manage your work through scoping, planning, communication, decision making and time management, within a design project.
LO11.
Process Design Skills and Application - Communicate and defend design options, decisions and results clearly and concisely at an appropriate level in consultation with teaching staff and submitted assessment.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Technology Design Series
|
60% |
21/03/2025 2:00 pm 17/04/2025 6:00 pm 9/05/2025 2:00 pm 30/05/2025 2:00 pm
There are 4 submissions through semester. |
| Examination |
Exam During Exam Period (Central)
|
40% Hurdle |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Technology Design Series
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
21/03/2025 2:00 pm
17/04/2025 6:00 pm
9/05/2025 2:00 pm
30/05/2025 2:00 pm
There are 4 submissions through semester.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09, L10, L11
Task description
In the design series, students will complete design calculations for part of a water/wastewater treatment process. Students will be given a design scenario and/or example process data. Students may be required to select appropriate wastewater technology for the scenario and complete a series of calculations to design equipment and evaluate the expected performance of that equipment. Students will present design outcomes (i.e. as an equipment specification sheet) and performance evaluations (i.e. mass/energy balances and/or calculations showing economic, environmental or safety impacts of operation). Students will report on major assumptions and discuss the impact of these assumptions. Each student will have to submit a design package containing a completed design template/equipment specification sheet, design calculations and engineering drawings as appropriate (PFDs and PCD/P&ID).
1. Students will design an anaerobic treatment process (Week 4, Friday 2pm)
2. Students will design an activated sludge/BNR process (Week 8, Thursday 6pm - due at the completion of the workshop class)
3. Students will design technology for disinfection (Week 10, Friday 2pm)
4. Students will design technology for solids/sludge management (Week 13, Friday 2pm)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission via Blackboard/Turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessments must be submitted on or before the due date. Late submissions of assessment items will only be accepted if approval for late submission has been obtained prior to the due date.
Penalties Apply for Late Submission
Refer PPL Assessment Procedure Section 3 Part C (48)
A Student Access Plan (SAP) can only be used for a first extension. Extensions based on an SAP may be granted for up to seven (7) days, or the maximum number of days specified in the Course Instance (CI), if it is less than seven (7) days. Any further extensions will require additional supporting documentation, such as a medical certificate.
Exam During Exam Period (Central)
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 40% Hurdle
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09
Task description
Individual final exam organised centrally testing understanding of all aspects of the course material from lectures, tutorials and project work.
Closed book exam with on-campus invigilation for Internal students and online invigilation for External students.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
In order to pass this course, students must achieve a score of equal to or greater than 50% on the final examination (i.e. a score equal to or greater than 20/40).Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work is of an extremely low standard or incomplete and the student cannot be considered to have achieved the minimum standard required to pass the course. Students in this category typically achieving less than 25% for the course overall. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work has multiple significant shortcomings and the student cannot be considered to have achieved the minimum standard required to pass the course. Students in this category typically achieving 25 to 45% for the course overall. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Work typically has one significant shortfall and the student cannot be considered to have achieved the minimum standard required to pass the course. Fail: Falls short of satisfying requirements for a Pass (grade of 4 or higher), including achieving less than 50% for the course overall or achieving less than 50% on the final examination. This grade indicates course failure. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work is completed to an acceptable standard. A student in this grade band will perform at a consistently acceptable standard in most areas with some work perhaps also being at a higher standard (but not enough for a 5). Students receiving this grade must achieve a total score equal to or exceeding 50% for the course and a score equal to or exceeding 50% for the final examination. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work completed to a good standard. A student in this grade band will perform at a consistently good standard in most areas with some excellent (but not enough for a 6) or acceptable work (but still exceeding requirements for a 4). As for Grade 4, but your overall performance was higher. Students receiving this grade must achieve a total score exceeding 65% for the course. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work completed to a very good standard. A student in this grade band will perform to an excellent standard in some areas and a good standard in the rest. As for Grade 5, but your overall performance was higher. Students receiving this grade must achieve a total score exceeding 75% for the course. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Consistently excellent. Shows a very high standard for the majority of the aspects of process equipment design and selection and in completing a design project. As for Grade 6, but achieving very high level of performance in all forms of assessment. Students receiving this grade must achieve a total score exceeding 85% for the course. They must perform consistently well in all forms of assessment. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Use of calculators
Only University approved and labelled calculators can be used in all quizzes or exams for this course. Please consult ﾠhttps://my.uq.edu.au/services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/sitting-exam/approved-calculators for information about approved calculators and obtaining a label for non-approved calculators.
There is an end of semester examination in this course.ﾠ Students enrolled in internal mode will have an invigilated (supervised) examination on campus. To ensure equity of treatment across both internal and external modes, and to maintain academic integrity of the external mode examination, students who are enrolled in external mode will have an invigilated (supervised) online examination. Supervision will be done using Zoom for external students, please see the external delivery course profile for further details on online invigilated exams materials and requirements.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
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| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Course Introduction Introduction to WATR6108: Includes overview of course structure, learning objectives, assessment requirements and student expectations. Learning outcomes: L01, L05, L06, L11 |
Workshop |
Introduction to Process Design Introduction to the "Unit Operations" concept and the procedures and strategies used in process design. This workshop will include activities on setting treatment goals. Learning outcomes: L01, L05, L06, L10, L11 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course:
- Safety Induction for Practicals
Course guidelines
Anyone undertaking courses with a practical component must complete the UQ Undergraduate Student Laboratory Safety Induction and pass the associated assessment.
Specific instructions, usage guidelines and rules for each of the undergraduate laboratories will be delivered as part of each course.
In some cases, students may be required to attend a specific face-to-face laboratory induction/training session.