Education programmes of job
Nature of work
Drinking water engineer undertakes a wide range of technical duties, he handles every step in water cycle for public authorities such as design and construction of water treatment plants, which include water withdraw and treatment, storage and distribution of treated water, his duties vary according to his work:Study and design field:
- Study and design the units of water treatment plant based on the treatment method, the design standards, the pollution degree and the required level of treatment.
- Design the sedimentation and flocculation tanks, filtration and disinfection units.
- Design the water network (pipes diameters, water velocity and the available pressure).
- Control the treatment process and discover the defects.
- Assess the treatment plant efficiency and control the stability of treatment process.
- Work with applicable water strategies that maximize operating flexibility and reduce the costs.
- Prepare the technical report of water treatment.
- Preserve the public health and technical safety by providing the appropriate work environment, public health and technical safety requirements.
- Prepare the environmental programs and activate the environmental education.
Environment of work
- Environment engineer who study and design the water treatment plant works in the public section (governmental authorities) for 8 hours per day during the week except the end week holiday, and he may work extra time if there is necessity. In private section he works from 8 to 12 hours per day according to the work nature.
- Environmental engineer who works at the treatment plants (open area) must wear a safety clothes, gloves, mask and helmet. For the official work he wears normal clothes.
- The facilities used to achieve the official work: computer, design programs and references.
- He can work individually via Order of Syrian Engineers by opening engineering office for environmental consultations, or he can work in a comprehensive engineering office with different specialists of engineers.
- He must design according to the world standard specifications of water treatment and achieve it to ensure the work quality (the Syrian standards specification for drinking water, 2007 issued by the Syrian Arab Measurements and Specifications Staff at Industry Ministry – International references for treatment plants design such as T.J.Casey, 1997 - Unit Treatment Processes in Water and Wastewater Engineering, John Wiley & Sons).
Professional life
- Environment engineer can work individually or with work team either in private section or public section. He can work individually via Order of Syrian Engineers by opening engineering office for environmental consultations, or he can work in a comprehensive engineering office with different specialists of engineers.
- In private projects he can work with a comprehensive work team contains all engineering specialists to prepare the sanitary study of any structure, in addition to design and operate the drinking water, industrial wastewater treatment plants for the industrial projects.
- In general project he prepares the sanitary study for infrastructure projects and he can work in drinking water and wastewater treatment plants.
- In general section the professional life of environmental engineer develops with the time, when he gets experience from designer engineer to head of engineering section or manager of design/supervision team and maybe he becomes a general manager of water treatment plant.
- His monthly salary when he starts at general section about 20000 Syrian Pound.
- He can travel abroad to follow training programs or to give experience in water and wastewater treatment field.
Sectors of careers
Environmental engineer can work in the following sections:- Comprehensive engineering offices to prepare the sanitary study of any structure (residential, industrial and commercial), in addition to design and operate the industrial wastewater treatment plants for the industrial projects.
- General section companies.
- Private companies for engineering consultations.
- Environmental engineer can participate in the environmental education and awareness (primary, secondary and undergraduate educations)
Getting the job
- A bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from faculty of civil engineering or faculty of technology engineering.
- Master's and PhD degree in environmental engineering.
- Becoming a member at Order of Syrian Engineers.
- Using computer programs such as design of water and wastewater networks and treatment plants, Microsoft Office and AutoCAD.
- Knowledge of the following subjects (study and design the networks of water supply and wastewater collection system, design and operate drinking water, industrial and wastewater treatment systems and maintains their pipe networks, management of hazardous and solid wastes, environmental impact assessment (EIA) of strategic projects, air pollution and public health problems).
- Knowledge of the national and international specifications and codes for hydraulic and environmental design of water treatment plants and understand the principles of treatment (the Syrian standards specification for drinking water, 2007 issued by the Syrian Arab Measurements and Specifications Staff at Industry Ministry – international references for treatment plants design such as T. J. Casey, 1997 - Unit Treatment Processes in Water and Wastewater Engineering, John Wiley & Sons).
Skills
- Show effective character skills at work environment and capability to invent solutions and participate in choosing work methods and tools.
- Present the project details and technical information to colleagues/clients
- Prepare, review, and revise environmental regulations and monitor the progress of certain environmental programs.
- Achieve the required works at its time and manage effectively the time.
- Manage effectively the resources and duties, and development possibility.
- Obligation by the professional standards and ethics and assess the workers performance and always work to develop their skills.
- Communication and analytical skills.
- Use special computer applications.
- Teamwork spirit (work effectively with engineers and draughtsman) and participate on project teams in planning, design and construction of drinking water treatment plants.
- Supervise the junior design crew and works on the site and provide the support to develop the work crew.
- Ensure that the design will be according to the drinking water treatment design standards and take account of environmental issues, health and safety requirements and achieve the world standard specifications to ensure the work quality.
Sources and references
- Internal list of Civil Engineering Faculty – Aleppo University – Syria - 2010.
- Standards Arab Specification of Professions – Arab Work Organization – 2008.
- National Academic Referential Standards (NARS) – ministry of high education - Syria – 2012.
- Order of Syrian Engineers – Aleppo branch – 2012.