ENN470 Integrated Urban Water Management

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

The water systems in our cities are increasingly challenged by climate change, growing population and scarce resources. Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) provides solutions for designing, planning and managing the components of urban water cycle while accounting for their interactions with the environmental and human systems, for the challenging futures. Building on international and our own research, this Master of Sustainable Infrastructure unit provides a depth of knowledge and skills bases to develop solutions to complex systems design problems that meet stakeholders' needs. You will learn and apply engineering knowledge in integrated water solutions spanning over water supply, wastewater, and stormwater components of urban water systems. You will also learn and be able to understand the social and economic aspects of urban water management to contribute to planning guidelines, policies and regulations.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Critically evaluate the interactions between the components of urban water systems and their environmental, social and economic impacts
2. Analyse urban water systems accounting for quantity and quality of different water sources, and energy balances
3. Work independently and collaboratively to design alternative urban water management solutions using multi-criteria decision support systems, and communicate outcomes effectively to wider audiences
4. Explain Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) principles to address stormwater management problems

Content

Learning Approaches

In this unit you can expect to experience the following activities:

• Videos explaining key concepts, released at the beginning of each week
• 2 hour lecture, where you can engage with experienced engineers in working though problem sets, applying the concepts learned in the videos
• 1 to 2 hour of tutorials/workshops where you will be guided through applied design and data analytics problems, working with experienced engineers and your peers to deepen your skills
• Follow up formative quizzes, readings and online discussions to help you review your learning for the week and clarify any areas of misunderstanding
• You will engage with hydrologic and hydraulic modelling tools to complete your learning activities and assessments

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback in this unit will be provided in the following ways:

• Formative oral feedback will be offered by the lecturer and tutors during the semester to assist you in the development of your skills.
• Formative written feedback through criteria sheet grading.
• In addition to CRA (criteria sheet), comments on summative assessment will be provided.
• Generic comments will be provided to the cohort through the Canvas.

Assessment

Overview

Assessment items in this unit have been designed to give you the opportunity to show your learning against the unit learning outcomes. You will work as a member of an effective group to prepare and submit two applied design project reports. You will present your project outcomes to an audience of your peers. You will sit for an examination individually during the central examination period at the end of the semester. 

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Urban Water Systems Evaluation

You will prepare a report addressing the integrated, efficient, sustainable and resilient nature of urban water systems.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis

You will design an integrated urban water system and analyse its performance. You will produce a report on your design and analysis.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Examination (written)

You will be required to analyse aspects of urban water management systems, energy and nutrient balance and alternative water design solutions. You will be presented with descriptions of urban water management systems and will need to demonstrate knowledge in system conceptualisation, and theory and methods for engineering decision making.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

You will undertake lectures and tutorials in the traditional classrooms and lecture theatres. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit.

You will be required to undertake practical sessions in the laboratory under the supervision of the lecturer and technical staff of the School. In any laboratory practicals you will be advised of the requirements of safe and responsible behaviour and will be required to wear appropriate protective items (e.g. closed shoes).

You will undergo a health and safety induction before the commencement of the practical sessions and will be issued with a safety induction card. If you do not have a safety induction card you will be denied access to laboratories.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineer

1: Knowledge and Skill Base

1. 
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Evaluation, Examination (written)
2. 
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Evaluation
3. 
   Relates to: Examination (written)
4. 
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis

2: Engineering Application Ability

1. 
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis, Examination (written)

3: Professional and Personal Attributes

1. 
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Evaluation, Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis
2. 
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis
3. 
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis
4. 
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis

Course Learning Outcomes

EN51 Master of Sustainable Infrastructure

1. Demonstrate and apply advanced and specialist discipline knowledge, concepts and practices as they relate to contemporary practice in Sustainable Infrastructure
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Evaluation
2. Analyse and evaluate Sustainable Infrastructure problems using technical approaches informed by contemporary practice and leading edge research to achieve innovative, critically informed solutions 
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Evaluation, Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis
3. Apply innovative, systematic approaches to plan, design, deliver and manage projects in Sustainable Infrastructure in a way that assures sustainable outcomes over their whole lifecycle
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis
4. Effectively communicate Sustainable Infrastructure problems, related complex data and information, and solutions in contemporary professional formats for diverse purposes and audiences
   Relates to: Examination (written)
5. Demonstrate ethically and socially responsible practice, recognising the importance of personal accountability and reflective practice when working in individual and collaborative modes
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis, Examination (written)

EN71 Master of Sustainable Infrastructure with Project Management

1. Demonstrate and apply advanced and specialist discipline knowledge, concepts, methods and practices as they relate to contemporary practice in Sustainable Infrastructure and Project Management domains
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Evaluation
2. Analyse and evaluate problems in Sustainable Infrastructure and Project Management domains using technical approaches informed by contemporary practice and leading-edge research to achieve evidence based, innovative, critically informed solutions and outcomes
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Evaluation, Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis
3. Apply innovative, systematic approaches to plan, design, deliver and manage projects in Sustainable Infrastructure and Project Management domains in a way that assures sustainable outcomes and strategic objectives over their whole lifecycle
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis
4. Effectively communicate problems in Sustainable Infrastructure and Project Management domains, related complex data and information, and solutions in contemporary professional formats for diverse purposes and audiences
   Relates to: Examination (written)
5. Demonstrate ethically and socially responsible practice, recognising the importance of personal accountability, reflective practice, risk-informed judgements, and leadership
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis, Examination (written)

EN75 Master of Sustainable Infrastructure with Data Analytics

1. Demonstrate and apply advanced and specialist discipline knowledge, concepts, methods and practices as they relate to contemporary practice in Sustainable Infrastructure and Data Analytics domains
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Evaluation
2. Analyse and evaluate problems in Sustainable Infrastructure and Data Analytics domains using technical approaches informed by contemporary practice and leading-edge research to achieve evidence based, innovative, critically informed solutions and outcomes
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Evaluation, Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis
3. Apply innovative, systematic approaches to plan, design, deliver and manage projects in Sustainable Infrastructure and Data Analytics domains in a way that assures sustainable outcomes and strategic objectives over their whole lifecycle
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis
4. Effectively communicate problems in Sustainable Infrastructure and Data Analytics domains, related complex data and information, and solutions in contemporary professional formats for diverse purposes and audiences
   Relates to: Examination (written)
5. Demonstrate ethically and socially responsible practice, recognising the importance of personal accountability, reflective practice, risk-informed judgements, and leadership
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis, Examination (written)

EN79 Graduate Diploma in Engineering Studies

1. Demonstrate and apply advanced discipline knowledge, concepts and practices as they relate to contemporary Engineering practice
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Evaluation
2. Analyse and evaluate Engineering problems using technical approaches informed by contemporary practice and leading edge research to achieve innovative, critically informed solutions
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Evaluation, Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis
3. Apply innovative, systematic approaches to plan, design, deliver and manage Engineering projects in a way that assures sustainable outcomes over their whole lifecycle
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis
4. Effectively communicate Engineering problems, related complex data and information, and solutions in contemporary professional formats for diverse purposes and audiences
   Relates to: Examination (written)
5. Demonstrate ethically and socially responsible practice, recognising the importance of personal accountability and reflective practice when working in individual and collaborative modes
   Relates to: Urban Water Systems Design & Analysis, Examination (written)