CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 418/618
PRINCIPLES OF WATER-QUALITY MODELING
SPRING 2013
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Yu (Frank) Yang
E-MAIL: yuy@unr.edu
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
1 CATALOG 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.
2 TEXTBOOK
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: McGrawHill Education, 2010. ISBN: 9780073401102
3 STUDENTS 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.
4 RECORDING 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.
5 JUSTIFICATION
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.
6 EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
Water chemistry and relevant mathematical modeling are fundamental for water resource management. This course
will 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
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CEE 418/618
Principles of Water-Quality Modeling
Spring 2014
Dr. Yu (Frank) Yang
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)
7 CLASSROOM 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.
8 QUIZZES
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 yuy@unr.edu 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 yuy@unr.edu by Mar 3rd.
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.
11 EXAM
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.
12 ACADEMIC 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.
13 GRADING
Quizzes
Essay
Presentation
Final Exam
Total
CEE 418
20%
20%
20%
40%
100%
CEE 618
10%
30%
30%
30%
100%
Letter Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Percentage
90 – 100
80 – 89
70 – 79
60 – 69
59 or less
14 SCHEDULE
The tentative schedule of topics is given. Additional reading material will be distributed as needed throughout the
semester.
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CEE 418/618
Principles of Water-Quality Modeling
Spring 2014
Dr. Yu (Frank) Yang
May 7th no class
May 8th final starts
May 10th schedule classroom in SEM (257) (347) (261)
Weeks
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
DATE
Jan 19- Jan 25
Jan 26-Feb 1
Feb 2- Feb 8
Feb 9-Feb 15
Feb 16-Feb 22
Feb 23-Mar 1
Mar 2-Mar 8
Mar 9-Mar 15
Mar 16-Mar 22
Mar 23-Mar 29
Mar 30-Apr 5
Apr 6-Apr 12
Apr 13-Apr 19
Apr 20-Apr 26
Apr 27-May 3
May 3-May 9
CONTENT
Introduction to Water Quality Issue
Trace Organic Pollutants in Water
Equilibrium: Phase Distribution
Multiphase Distribution and Exchange
Arsenic in Groundwater
Metal Chemistry: Redox Reaction
Calculation for Aqueous Species
Radionuclide Transport
Diffusion and Transport
Simulation for Transport
Ocean Acidification
Acid-Base Reaction
pH Modeling
NOTES
START
Quiz on Monday
No Class on Monday
Debate in Class
Quiz on Wednesday
Spring Break
Quiz on Friday
Student Presentation
Review
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