Water and waste management

Civil engineers specialising in water and waste management deal with planning, construction and operational tasks in the fields of hydraulic engineering, urban water management and waste management.

Water management engineers in the field of urban water management ensure that drinking water and industrial water are in perfect condition. In addition to water extraction and water distribution, they also deal with wastewater drainage, sewer rehabilitation and wastewater treatment. Dam construction, hydropower plants and river basin management are the main fields of activity in hydraulic engineering.

Waste management | Waste management is concerned with the development and implementation of concepts for the avoidance, reduction, utilisation, treatment and environmentally friendly disposal of waste of all kinds. In this degree programme, you will acquire knowledge of the environmentally friendly and orderly disposal of waste and the remediation of contaminated sites.

Water supply networks and drainage systems | In addition to the energy transition, climate change and demographic change pose major social challenges. Water supply networks and drainage systems are particularly affected by this. The existing systems must be adapted to the changing water consumption. In addition, drainage systems will have to cope with heavy rainfall, which will become more frequent and more intense in the future. Here too, new ideas and technologies offer opportunities to meet these challenges.

The career prospects are very varied. All occupational fields of civil engineering are available to you:

• Engineering offices (consulting offices, planning, project management, quality assurance)
• Construction companies (civil and structural engineering, plant construction, pipeline construction)
• Public service (federal government, local authorities, state offices, state institutes)
• Associations and public bodies (waterworks, waste associations, municipal utilities, water boards)
• Insurance companies
• International organisations (GTZ, DED)