Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science

Department of Chemical Engineering

CHE 616: Water and Wastewater Treatment

Winter 2021
Lectures: Fridays: 9 am–12 pm (via Zoom)

Instructor Information

Instructor Dr. Manuel Alvarez Cuenca, P.Eng.

Office KHN 108
Office Hours Fridays, 1 pm–2 pm
Phone (416) 979–5000, extension 556346
Email mcuenca@ryerson.ca

TA Information
Reza Shadkami (Ph.D. Student)
Email: rshadkami@ryerson.ca

Calendar Description
Introduction to water and wastewater engineering with special emphasis on drinking water, and
municipal and industrial wastewaters; fundamental chemical, physical, biological and
engineering concepts including unit operations and reactors used in water and wastewater
treatment; water quality, water pollution, and its domestic and industrial sources; the best
known water and wastewater treatment processes and technologies, and their comparative
evaluation; description of the most effective sludge treatment methods, and processes dealing
with water recycling and reuse.
Weekly Contact: Lecture:3 h
Prerequisite: CHE 308, Co-Requisite: CHE 312

Course Outline Page 1 of 5

Course Details

Course Outline
1. Introduction to Wastewater Engineering
2. Contaminants and their determination and processing costs
3. Solids Removal: Screening, Sedimentation, and Air Flotation
4. Secondary Treatment
5. Reactions and Processes
6. Bioreactors

References
Given the characteristics of the course, no single textbook can satisfy its requirements. Following
are the recommended references:
1. M. J. Hammer, M. J. Hammer Jr. “Water and Wastewater Technology,” 7th Ed.
Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2012.
2. Ronald L. Droste, “Theory and Practice of Water and Wastewater Treatment,” John Wiley
& Sons, 1997.
3. W. Wesley Eckenfelder, Jr. “Industrial Water Pollution Control,” McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1989.
4. Metcalf & Eddy, Inc “Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse,” 4th Edition,
McGraw-Hill Inc., 2003.
Depending on the project, you may need other sources of information.

Course Learning Outcomes

This course has the following learning objectives for the students:
Attribute #GA4: Design
Generates solutions for complex engineering design problems (4b: Generate solutions)
Attribute #GA9: Impact of Engineering on Society and Environment
Considers economic, social, and environmental factors in decision-making (9a: Environment)
Attribute #GA10: Ethics and Equity

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Recognize and understand basic legal principles relating to business organizations, the Canadian
legal system, torts, contracts and other legal issues that are faced by engineers in their practices
(10a: Ethics and professionalism)
Attribute #GA11: Economics and Project Management
Designs economic evaluation approaches to support decision making at a system level with real
world constraints and demands (11a: Economics)
Note: Numbers in parentheses refer to the graduate attributes required by the Canadian
Engineering Accreditation Board. For more information, see:
https://www.ryerson.ca/engineering-architectural-science/about/quality-assurance-programs/

Evaluation
The students will have the following evaluations:

Evaluation Percentage of Final Grade

Assignments 20%
Midterm Exam 30% (Date: March 5, 2021)
Final Exam 50%

Assignments
Four or five non-trivial numerical assignments will be delivered, marked, and discussed in class.
The assignments will demand basic chemical engineering undergraduate skills but the expected
individual creativity of a junior engineer in training.

Date of Return of First Graded Assessment to Students

Friday, March 26, 2021

Requirement From Students

1. The assignments are individual exercises and problems. Plagiarism is strongly
discouraged as it constitutes a degradation of academic quality.
2. Active participation in class discussions is expected from the students as an incentive to
promote the depth and understanding of the methods and technology discussed.
3. Students are required to adhere to all relevant University policies such as the Student
Code of Academic Conduct.

CHE 616 Course Outline, Winter 2021 Page 3 of 5

University Policies

Students must be reminded that they are required to adhere to all relevant university policies
found in their online course shell in D2L and/or on the following URL:
http://ryerson.ca/senate/course-outline-policies

Important Resources Available at Ryerson

● The Library provides research workshops and individual assistance. If the University is
open, there is a Research Help desk on the second floor of the library, or go to Workshops.

● Student Learning Support offers group-based and individual help with writing, math,
study skills, and transition support, as well as resources and checklists to support students
as online learners.

● You can submit an Academic Consideration Request when an extenuating circumstance

has occurred that has significantly impacted your ability to fulfill an academic
requirement. You may always visit the Senate website and select the blue radial button
on the top right hand side entitled: Academic Consideration Request (ACR) to submit this
request).

Please note that the Interim Provost/ Vice President Academic and Dean's approved a
COVID-19 statement for Fall 2020/Winter 2021 related to academic consideration.
This statement has been built into the Online Academic Consideration System and is also
on the Senate website (www.ryerson.ca/senate):
Policy 167: Academic Consideration for Fall 2020/Winter 2021 due to COVID-19: Students
who miss an assessment due to cold or flu-like symptoms, or due to self-isolation, are
currently not required to provide a health certificate. Other absences must follow
Senate Policy 167: Academic Consideration.
Also NOTE: Outside of COVID-19 symptoms, the new Policy 167: Academic Consideration
does allow for a once per term academic consideration request without supporting
documentation if the absence is less than 3 days in duration and is not for a final
exam/final assessment. In both of those instances, documentation is required. For more
information please see Senate Policy 167: Academic Consideration.
● Ryerson COVID-19 Information and Updates for Students summarizes the variety of
resources available to students during the pandemic.

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 ● Familiarize yourself with the tools you will need to use for remote learning. The Continuity
of Learning Guide for students includes guides to completing quizzes or exams in D2L or
Respondus, using D2L Brightspace, joining online meetings or lectures, and collaborating
with the Google Suite.

● Information on Copyright for Faculty and students.

● At Ryerson, we recognize that things can come up throughout the term that may interfere
with a student’s ability to succeed in their coursework. These circumstances are outside of
one’s control and can have a serious impact on physical and mental well-being. Seeking
help can be a challenge, especially in those times of crisis. Below are resources we
encourage all Ryerson community members to access to ensure support is reachable.
https://www.ryerson.ca/mental-health-wellbeing

If support is needed immediately, you can access these outside resources at anytime:
Distress Line — 24/7 line for if you are in crisis, feeling suicidal or in need of emotional
support (phone: 416-408-4357)
Good2Talk- 24/7 hour line for postsecondary students (phone: 1-866-925-5454)

Approved by

(Associate Chair or Department Chair)

CHE 616 Course Outline, Winter 2021 Page 5 of 5