Water Resources and Engineering

Water resources engineering relates to the task of supplying water that’s fit for human use,
developing efficient methods of avoiding damage from floods (excess water) and removing water when
people are done using it. What is water resources engineering? Water resource engineering involves
planning and management of various constructed facilities that provide solutions for the objectives listed
above. The applications of water resources engineering include:
• Design of various hydraulic structures such as breakwaters and dams, sewage conduit.
• Management of waterways-flood and erosion protection.
• Another important application is environmental management- this includes prediction of mixing and the
transport of different types of pollutants in surface water.
• Hydroelectric-power development.
• Irrigation, water supply and navigation- in which water is utilized for beneficial purposes.
Different aspects that water resources engineering is used in Water resource engineering is used
not only to design these modern water management systems, but oversee the construction &
maintenance of these installations and systems as well. A rising population and the constant need for
more water necessitate the use of this branch of engineering for aspects such as:
• Flood forecasting, flood management
• Reservoir operation
• Dam break analysis
• River ecology
• River management, navigation
• Sediment transport &river morphology
• Basin-wide water resource planning
• River water quality, point load and non-point assessments
• Conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater
• Wetlands
• Watershed management
• Soil &groundwater contamination
More recently, the ever-growing concern for preserving the earth’s natural environment &meeting needs
of developing countries has also increased the importance of this particular branch of civil engineering.
What is a water resources engineer?
A water resources engineer is involved in the task of designing and planning systems that will
supply water that’s fit for human use. They develop efficient methods of avoiding damage from floods
(excess water) and systems for removing water when people are finished using it. A water resource
engineer develops new systems and equipment for all levels of water resource management facilities. The
systems designed by these engineers ensure that the public is provided with a constant supply of
uncontaminated and clean water for living, drinking as well as recreational purposes. Water resources
engineers work in government organizations or private consulting firms that are involved in projects for
supplying water to urban and rural areas, or dealing with the hazards of water contamination. They also
work in organizations that are involved in work related to hydrology and with various governmental
entities at the municipal, state as well as national level.

Control of Water
It is the responsibility of water resources engineering to control and regulate water to serve a
wide variety of purposes. Certain fields of water resources engineering — such as flood control, land
drainage, sewerage, and highway culvert design deal primarily with the control of adverse effects of
water. Water supply, irrigation, and hydroelectric power development are the three major fields which
serve the utilization of water for beneficial purposes. It is basically in these fields that the largest water
resources systems are developed. In recent years, pollution control or water-quality management has
become an important phase of water resources engineering.
Water Control Structures
When is a water control structure necessary?
Regardless of type, the major purpose of these water control structures is to control the flow of water.
Today’s temporary water structures are used either to redirect the flow of heavy waters, to hold back
flood waters, and also to providing a dry environment for working on a short-term project. Through
Dewatering, Diversion and/or Damming, any accumulated water or moisture that may serve to impede
the continuation of a project becomes a non-issue with the use of Dami-It Dams portable, temporary, dual
inner-tube cofferdam.
Dewatering
De-watering (or un-watering) is the removal or drainage of ground or surface water, typically on a
construction site. This method is often required before subsurface excavation for such things as
foundations, shoring, cellar space, and repairs to existing water structures. Water control structures are
an important part of this process, as they allow the work to proceed in a dry environment, conducive to
construction.
Examples of Dewatering water-control situations include:

 Boat ramp repairs

 Bridge repairs
 Dredging
 Environmental remediation
 Shoreline restoration
 Wetland protection
 Diversion
Diversion is the temporary (or possibly even permanent) re-routing of water either to a location or from
a location where it’s no longer desired. It may be required to avert flooding, initiate a project or allow a
project to proceed, as well as to control the location of a build-up of water.
Examples of Diversion water-control situations include:

 Bridge repairs
 Dredging
 Environmental remediation
 Flood control
 River crossings
 River flow
 Spillways
 Wetland protection
Damming
Damming is the process of creating a barrier that holds back water, oftentimes in cases of
potentially strong force. The barrier may be needed to maintain water table levels, collect water for
storage, or to prevent water from crossing established/safety thresholds.
Examples of damming water-control situations include:

 Bridge repairs
 Canals
 Cold weather projects
 Dredging
 Environmental protection
 Environmental remediation
 Flood control
 Flood protection
 Shoreline protection
 Shoreline restoration
 Spillways
 Wetland protection
Which Water Structure Is Best for Water Control?
While determining the best water control solution is up to the individual, it’s important to note that most
experts agree cofferdams are the best solution in their class due to the many advantages offered,
particularly with Dam-It Dams’ cofferdams.

 Adaptability- They conform to virtually every type of landscape and weather condition to suit
users needs.
 Affordability- They are a multi-use product, meaning they don’t have to be re-purchased and they
use on-site water instead of tap water for filling.
 Availability- You can select from heights of 1′ to 12′, widths of 2′ to 23′ and unlimited lengths
 Durability- They are made of industrial strength geo-textile materials that can withstand
tremendous water pressure are puncture-resistant. Workers can walk on them during installation
and removal without fear of damage.
  Expandability- Multiple cofferdams can be connected as needed to form any length barrier
required for the job.
 Low Labor Requirements- Unlike sandbags, you set up once (and do not need to change out due
to saturation) until the purpose of the equipment is served.
 Portability- They go anywhere and are easy to transport and store. We can provide immediate
and convenient delivery to your project site, as well as pick-up for rentals.
 Responsibility- Our cofferdams work with Mother Nature, not against her, and therefore create
effective water barriers that leave minimal to no lasting footprint on the environment.

Use of Water
Water is constantly in motion by way of the hydrologic cycle. Water evaporates as vapor from
oceans, lakes, and rivers; is transpired from plants; condenses in the air and falls as precipitation; and then
moves over and through the ground into waterbodies, where the cycle begins again. *
The water-use cycle is composed of the water cycle with the added influence of human activity.
Dams, reservoirs, canals, aqueducts, withdrawal pipes in rivers, and groundwater wells all reveal that
humans have a major impact on the water cycle. In the water-use cycle, water moves from a source to a
point of use, and then to a point of disposition. The sources of water are either surface water or
groundwater. Water is withdrawn and moved from a source to a point of use, such as an industry,
restaurant, home, or farm. After water is used, it must be disposed of (or sometimes, reused). Used water
is either directly returned to the environment or passes through a treatment processing plant before being
returned.
Categories of Water use The U.S. Geological Survey categorizes water use for analyzing current patterns
and predicting future trends.
 Commercial water use includes fresh water for motels, hotels, restaurants, office buildings, other
commercial facilities, and civilian and military institutions.
 Domestic water use is probably the most important daily use of water for most people. Domestic use
includes water that is used in the home every day, including water for normal household purposes,
such as drinking, food preparation, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, flushing toilets, and watering
lawns and gardens.
 Industrial water use is a valuable resource to the nation's industries for such purposes as processing,
cleaning, transportation, dilution, and cooling in manufacturing facilities. Major water-using
industries include steel, chemical, paper, and petroleum refining. Industries often reuse the same
water over and over for more than one purpose.
 Irrigation water use is water artificially applied to farm, orchard, pasture, and horticultural crops, as
well as water used to irrigate pastures, for frost and freeze protection, chemical application, crop
cooling, harvesting, and for the leaching of salts from the crop root zone. Nonagricultural activities
include self-supplied water to irrigate public and private golf courses, parks, nurseries, turf farms,
cemeteries, and other landscape irrigation uses. The importance of irrigation to the United States is
illustrated by the large amount of fresh water that is used to cultivate crops, which are consumed
domestically and throughout the world. In fact, irrigation is the largest category of water use in the
United States, as it is worldwide.
 Livestock water use includes water for stock animals, feed lots, dairies, fish farms, and other nonfarm
needs. Water is needed for the production of red meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and wool, and for horses,
rabbits, and pets. Livestock water use only includes fresh water.
 Mining water use includes water for the extraction of naturally occurring minerals; solids, such as coal
and ores; liquids, such as crude petroleum; and gases, such as natural gas. The category includes
quarrying, milling (such as crushing, screening, washing, and flotation), and other operations as part
of mining activity. A significant portion of the water used for mining, about 32 percent, is saline.
 Public Supply water use refers to water withdrawn by public and private water suppliers, such as
county and municipal water works, and delivered to users for domestic, commercial, and industrial
purposes. In 1995, the majority of the nation's population, about 225 million, or 84 percent, used
water delivered from public water suppliers. About 42 million people supplied their own water, with
about 99 percent of that water being groundwater, usually from a local well.
 Thermoelectric Power water use is the amount of water used in the production of electric power
generated with heat. The source of the heat may be from fossil fuels, nuclear fission, or geothermal.
Fossil fuel power plants typically reuse water. They generate electricity by turning a turbine using
steam power. After the steam is used to turn the turbines, it is condensed back to water by cooling it.
The condensed water is then routed back to the boiler, where the cycle begins again.
 University of Cebu Main Campus
College of Allied Engineering

CE 51 E
Water Resource Engineering
Group 1

Submitted by:

Saldua, iam Rasendi M.

Tumulak, Ashley D.
Nacua, Philip Lorenz T.
Carbellido, sHiela Grace B.
Quiachon, bridget g.

Submitted to:
Engr. Rod jayson badayos