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C10. WATER QUALITY AND TREATMENT
(KUL-code: I787 (Th); I788 (Pr))
Lecturer: VAN DER BEKEN A.
ECTS-credit: 5 pts
Contact hours: 30 hrs. of theory/30 hrs. of practical
Prerequisites: General courses on physics and chemistry
Time and place: 2nd semester, 13 sessions of 3 hours each, K.U.Leuven
Course syllabus: Lecture notes
Evaluation: Practical exercises and reports (1/3) and written examination with optional oral
examination (2/3)
Comparable handbook: Text Module on 'Municipal water and waste water treatment’. Unesco, Paris, France
Learning objectives:
Water quality must be understood by the students as an "indefinite" characteristic of water (vs. quantity which
is definite). The many sources of natural and man-made pollution and the unlimited quality variables must be
recognized in an integrated approach, allowing for further detailed analysis if and when needed, e.g. with
respect to treatment processes and regulation measures on short term and long term. The distinction between
water quality standards, licences, emission and immission criteria is essential. The basics of water and waste
water treatment processes and their limitations must be understood in order to be able to communicate and
cooperate with specialists in these matters.
Course description:
The course aims to provide an introduction to water quality assessment and water and waste-water treatment.
1. Definition(s) of water quality; Integrated water quality management
2. Types and sources of pollution;
3. Physical-chemical water quality:
4. Characteristics of waste water;
5. Biological and microbiological water quality;
6. Water quality monitoring;
7. Self-purification in rivers, and waste water discharge regulation;
8. Review of major physical, chemical and (bio)technological processes of water and waste water treatment.
The practical work consists of:
- Calculation and interpretation of various water quality indices;
- Calculation of self-purification and waste water discharge regulation;
- Elementary design of a waste water treatment plant; and
- Visit to drinking water production or waste-water treatment plants.
Complementary studies in Water Resources Engineering / 16