CEE 418/618 Spring 2014

Principles of Water-Quality ModelingDr. Yu (Frank) Yang

Civil and Environmental Engineering 418/618

Principles of Water-Quality Modeling

Spring 2013

Instructor: Dr. Yu (Frank) Yang E-mail:

Lecture Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00 AM – 8:50 AM in PE 208

Office Hours:Monday 9:00 – 10:00 AM or by appointment in SEM 349c

1Catalog Description

Understanding about the chemistry for water issues. Development of equations to model reactions, speciation and movement of pollutant in natural waters. Applications of equations to contaminants in streams, lakes, rivers and groundwater.

Prerequisites:CEE 390 with a "C" or better, or permission of the instructor. It is expected that students have taken basic courses in calculus and chemistry to ensure everyone has the minimum background required to make the course a positive learning experience.

2Textbook

Required Text

Chapra, S.C.Surface Water-Quality Modeling. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, 2008.
ISBN: 1577666054

Additional Resources

Chapra, S.C., and Canale, Raymond P. Numerical Methods for Engineering, 6th Ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education, 2010. ISBN: 9780073401102

3Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability for which you will need accommodations please contact the instructor or Mary Zabel at the Disability Resource Center (Thompson Student Services – 101, 784-6000) as soon as possible to arrange for appropriate accommodations. All discussions will remain confidential.

4Recording Classroom Content

Surreptitious or covert video-taping of class or unauthorized audio recording of class is prohibited by law and by Board of Regents policy. This class may be videotaped or audio recorded only with the written permission of the instructor. In order to accommodate students with disabilities, some students may have been given permission to record class lectures and discussions. Therefore, students should understand that their comments during class may be recorded.

5Justification

This course is offered as a required class for environmental engineers and an elective class for students in civil engineering or related disciplines with interest in learning about water quality issues, understanding water chemistry and developing mathematical models to water systems. Environmental engineering and related disciplines bring a unique perspective and skill set to understanding and predicting water quality as a result of natural and human perturbations. Therefore, a course describing the basic chemical principles and mathematical models for water systems is fundamental for those pursuing a career in environmental engineering and water quality management.

6Educational Objectives

Water chemistry and relevant mathematical modeling are fundamental for water resource management. This coursewill provide students with a background in modeling water quality in a wide range of water quality issues.

At the end of the course, students are expected to:

  1. Be familiar with the basic concepts of mathematical water-quality modeling and how it can be used in common water systems. (ABET criteria: e,k)

2. Apply fundamental engineering concepts of material and energy balances, reaction kinetics, and mass transfer to common water systems. (ABET criteria: e)

3. Develop skills to read literature in the field to pursue further understanding of the subject. (ABET criteria: k)

4. Understand the applicability and limitations of different water quality models. (ABET criteria: k)

7Classroom Format

The class will meet every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for 50 minutes. Class attendance is expected and strongly encouraged at every class meeting. If for any reason you cannot come to class, please e-mail the instructor before the class begins. Alternative assignments may be made for missed classes and quizzes at the discretion of the instructor.

8Quizzes

Quizzes will be given throughout the semester. Quizzes cannot be made up.If you miss a quiz because of illness, emergency, or a pre-authorized absence you must submit proof of the illness/emergency and you will be exempt from the quiz.

9 Essay

An essay is required for this class. The word limit is 2000-3000 words. Students can pick up any topic relevant to water quality issues. Examples include but are not limited to: rank for the health impacts of pollutants existing in drinking water in US and water demand for development of biofuels. The essay should include abstract, introduction, objective statement, method (optional), major content, conclusion and references. Please email the essay to by 5 pm (Pacific time), May 2nd. Student in CEE 618 may develop this essay as a grant proposal. Title for the essay should be emailed to by Mar3rd.

10 PRESENTATION

Students are required to orally present their essay in class. The time is 20 min, including 15 min for talk and 5 min for Q&A. Schedule for presentations will be set-up by Apr 20th.

11Exam

The final exam is tentatively scheduled on Monday, May 12th from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. It is comprehensive and will cover all lectures and material. All students must take the final exam to pass the course. If you miss this exam because of illness or some other emergency, you must submit proof of the emergency and ask the Chair of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department to send an e-mail approving the excuse to the instructor before you are permitted to take the exam. Exams must be made up before the close of the final examination period or the student will be given an incomplete or failing grade, depending upon the circumstances.

12Academic Dishonesty

Any incidents of any type of academic dishonesty will result in a student receiving an F for the course. If you have any questions about the rules governing any form of academic dishonesty, please see the “Student Conduct Information” section of the UNR General Catalog for specific university policies and procedures regarding academic dishonesty.

13Grading

CEE 418 / CEE 618 / Letter Grade / Percentage
Quizzes / 20% / 10% / A / 90 – 100
Essay / 20% / 30% / B / 80 – 89
Presentation / 20% / 30% / C / 70 – 79
Final Exam / 40% / 30% / D / 60 – 69
Total / 100% / 100% / F / 59 or less

14Schedule

Thetentative schedule of topics is given. Additional reading material will be distributed as needed throughout the semester.

Weeks / DATE / CONTENT / NOTES
1 / Jan 19- Jan 25 / Introduction to Water Quality Issue / START
2 / Jan 26-Feb 1 / Trace Organic Pollutants in Water
3 / Feb 2- Feb 8 / Equilibrium: Phase Distribution
4 / Feb 9-Feb 15 / Multiphase Distribution and Exchange / Quiz on Monday
5 / Feb 16-Feb 22 / Arsenic in Groundwater / No Class on Monday
6 / Feb 23-Mar 1 / Metal Chemistry: Redox Reaction / Debate in Class
7 / Mar 2-Mar 8 / Calculation for Aqueous Species
8 / Mar 9-Mar 15 / Radionuclide Transport / Quiz on Wednesday
9 / Mar 16-Mar 22 / Spring Break
10 / Mar 23-Mar 29 / Diffusion and Transport
11 / Mar 30-Apr 5 / Simulation for Transport
12 / Apr 6-Apr 12 / Ocean Acidification / Quiz on Friday
13 / Apr 13-Apr 19 / Acid-Base Reaction
14 / Apr 20-Apr 26 / pH Modeling
15 / Apr 27-May 3 / Student Presentation
16 / May 3-May 9 / Review

May 7th no class

May 8th final starts

May 10thschedule classroom in SEM (257) (347) (261)

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