Wastewater Treatment: From Theory to Practice

About this course

Wastewater treatment is one of the most critical fields in environmental engineering, and yet it is rarely taught in a way that connects theory to real-world practice. This course changes that.Whether you are an engineering student building your foundation, a working professional expanding your expertise, or a practitioner wanting to understand the science behind the processes you operate, this course was designed for you.Across 12 comprehensive sections, you will work through the entire wastewater treatment train from start to finish. You will begin by understanding what wastewater is, where it comes from, and how its physical, chemical, and biological characteristics drive every design decision. From there, you will explore the environmental consequences of inadequate treatment, including eutrophication, oxygen depletion, and aquatic toxicity.The course then takes you through each stage of the treatment process in depth: preliminary treatment, primary sedimentation, biological secondary treatment including activated sludge and attached growth systems, disinfection methods, and finally sludge handling and biosolids management.Throughout, theory is paired with practical design calculations, worked examples, and real-world context. You will learn to size settling tanks, apply mass balance equations to biological reactors, calculate oxygen requirements, evaluate disinfection technologies, and select sludge treatment processes based on plant size and site conditions.By the end of this course, you will have a thorough and practical understanding of how modern wastewater treatment systems are designed, operated, and optimized to protect public health and the environment.