CIV6178 Advanced water treatment
Faculty of Engineering
CIV6178 Advanced water treatment is a level 6, 0-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Engineering, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 0
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 50%
- and 3 other tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before CIV6178
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After CIV6178
No unit lists CIV6178 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must be enrolled in the Engineering PHD program or with permission from the Faculty of Engineering. The unit assumes that you have the necessary foundational knowledge.
Equivalent units
The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.
Overview
This unit provides an overview of water and wastewater systems in urban environments. The overview focuses on these systems' functions regarding the provision of drinking water and wastewater treatment and their modes of operation. Specific topics include water supply, water use and consumption, drinking water treatment and distribution, wastewater characterisation and secondary treatment, sludge handling, resource recovery and nature-based solutions for wastewater treatment. Treatment process theory and design are covered in this unit for both drinking water and wastewater treatment systems.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Homework assignmentsExerciseThreshold hurdle10%
- QuizzesQuiz / TestThreshold hurdle20%
- Design project: Wastewater treatment plant designProjectThreshold hurdle20%
- Final assessmentExaminationThreshold hurdle50%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Interpret components of the water treatment chain and explain the chemical processes for water hardness removal.
- 2
Design the various components of active and passive wastewater treatment plants.
- 3
Determine potential quantities of recycled wastewater and recovered biosolids based on designs of secondary wastewater treatment plants.
- 4
Assess the components of advanced secondary wastewater treatment and energy recovery processes and explain the biological processes for the anaerobic treatment of sludge.
- 5
Decide between various wastewater treatment systems for differing problems given space, economic, and environmental constraints.
- 6
Communicate professional decisions to specialist and/or non-specialist audiences.
Workload and teaching
- Practical activities24 hours
- Workshops24 hours
- Laboratories1 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachOnline learning
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachPeer assisted learning
- Teaching approachEnquiry-based learning
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.
Learning resources
Recommended resources
Metcalf & Eddy. 2013. Wastewater Engineering Treatment and Resource Recovery. McGraw Hill. 5th Edition. 2048 pp.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Brandon Winfrey
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Brandon Winfrey
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for CIV6178?
CIV6178 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is CIV6178 offered?
In 2026, CIV6178 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is CIV6178?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does CIV6178 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 50% of the final mark, alongside 3 other tasks.