Graduate environmental and water resource engineering programs at KU

What is environmental and water resources engineering?

Development decisions impact the environment, water quality and the lives of people in the region. Environmental engineers help balance economic and environmental needs for civil engineering projects, as well as overall sustainability. An environmental engineer working in water resource helps measure a project’s environmental impact on water resources, such as aquifers, rivers or lakes—as well as a project’s effect on local economy and public health.

An environmental engineer working in water resource might apply their knowledge in the following ways:

• Working with civil engineers on a plan to site a new dam route
• Overseeing the planning of an irrigation network
• Measuring the possible environmental impact of a proposed project on a body of water and the surrounding community
• Helping organizations make environmentally sustainable decisions regarding proposed building projects

What does an environmental engineer do with a water resource graduate degree?

Environmental engineers use a water resource specialization in a variety of fields, including air quality, water quality, solid and hazardous waste, stormwater treatment and wetlands management.