Module manager: Dr Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero
Email: M.A.Camargo-Valero@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
CIVE5311: Wastewater and Fecal Sludge Management CIVE5535: Advanced Wastewater Management
This module is not approved as an Elective
The module provides a comprehensive overview of wastewater and sludge treatment, covering key processes from characterisation through to treatment, design, and management. It introduces preliminary and primary treatment, followed by detailed coverage of conventional activated sludge systems and waste stabilisation ponds. Design principles are reinforced through in-class design exercises and data-driven optimisation workshops. The module also addresses regulatory considerations and the management of sewage sludge and faecal sludge, including resource recovery pathways. Learning is supported through practical activities, paper discussions, and interactive coursework support sessions.
This module will enable students to gain deeper insights into engineering principles for the design of wastewater and sludge treatment systems and reinforce and apply knowledge to practical engineering problems in tutorial sessions and in the submission of a design coursework. The module reinforces the basic understanding of wastewater and faecal sludge characterisation, the design and operation processes and technologies for wastewater and sludge treatment. Furthermore, it introduces techniques for a more advanced design approach.
Specific objectives of the module are:
- Provide a systematic understanding of process design procedures for low-cost and advanced wastewater treatment systems
- Provide a systematic understanding of approaches to faecal and sewage sludge treatment and resource recovery
- Reinforce theoretical learning via practical activities (tutorials of engineering problems, and lab or field activity)
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Apply a comprehensive understanding of design processes and methodologies along with mathematical and engineering principles to solve complex and unfamiliar engineering problems, as well as selecting/sizing the key unit operations for advanced and low-cost wastewater treatment facilities (AHEP 4 Learning Outcomes M1 and M5);
Generate an innovative design of a wastewater treatment system while demonstrating awareness of wider engineering context and recent developments in the field (AHEP 4 Learning Outcomes M1 and M5);
Apply appropriate computational techniques and analysis methods to solve complex engineering problems by providing justification for chosen method (AHEP 4 Learning Outcomes M3);
Apply decisions on the design, maintenance and operation of wastewater systems supported by engineering justification while discussing technical limitations and constraints, where the available data and information might not be complete (AHEP 4 Learning Outcomes M2 and-M5);
Demonstrate understanding of opportunities offered from recovering and recycling of wastes, estimate energy value of wastes and propose energy and resource recovery from wastewater to improve sustainability and resilience of wastewater systems (AHEP 4 Learning Outcomes M1 and M7);
Synthesise a complex engineering brief on design of wastewater systems in a practical scenario while showing detailed understanding of wider contexts such as societal, environmental and economic impacts and discussing the implication of various stakeholders and suggest solutions for the complex problem posed (AHEP 4 Learning Outcomes M1, M2, M5 and M7);
Demonstrate the ability to perform a comprehensive literature review within technical literature showing critical awareness of new developments in the design and operation of wastewater systems (AHEP 4 Learning Outcomes M1, M4 and M5);
Demonstrate awareness of health and safety implications in wastewater and consider those understandings in design task while showing awareness of regulations and design standards (AHEP 4 Learning Outcomes M5);
Apply communication skills to effectively communicate a complex engineering solution with technical and non-technical audience in written report (AHEP 4 Learning Outcomes M17).
This module contributes to the AHEP4 learning outcomes M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M7 and M17.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Work ready skills:
Communication: The ability to (both within verbal and written communication) be clear, concise and focused; being able to tailor your message for the audience and listening to the views of others.
Problem solving and analytical skills: The ability to take a logical approach to solving problems; resolving issues by tackling from different angles, using both analytical and creative skills. The ability to understand, interpret, analyse and manipulate numerical data.
Creativity: The ability to generate ideas, demonstrate originality and imaginative thinking, including the concept of thinking outside the box.
Critical thinking: The ability to gather information from a range of sources, analyse, and interpret data to aid understanding and anticipate problems. To use reasoning and judgement to identify needs, make decisions, solve problems, and respond with actions.
Working under pressure: The ability to tolerate pressure: to stay calm and level-headed whilst working to demands and deadlines.
Decision making: The ability to consider options, use and apply your judgement, to create possibilities and solutions. The ability to make decisions, potentially under pressure.
Sustainability skills:
System thinking: Recognises and understands relationships; analyses complex systems (environmental, economic and social systems and interdependencies across these); considers how systems are embedded within different domains and scales; deals with uncertainty; uses analytical thinking.
Strategic practice: Develops and implements innovative actions that further Sustainable Development at the local level and further afield; manages and promotes change.
Information searching: the ability to search for, evaluate and use appropriate and relevant information sources to help strengthen the quality of academic work and independent research.
Academic skills:
Academic writing: the ability to write in a clear, concise, focused and structured manner that is supported by relevant evidence.
Academic language: the ability to use the oral, written, auditory, and visual language proficiency needed to be able to learn effectively and demonstrate understanding.
Academic integrity: the ability to engage in good academic practice. This involves essential academic skills, such as source management and accurate referencing.
Referencing: the ability to know when, why and how to acknowledge someone else’s work or ideas.
Technical skills:
Interdisciplinary thinking: the ability to understand links between different disciplines in a multifaceted complex engineering problem and have sufficient understanding of each discipline to explore the problem from several lenses.
This module examines the chemical, physical, and biological processes underpinning the design, operation, and optimisation of wastewater and faecal sludge treatment systems, with particular emphasis on both conventional engineered solutions and low-cost, nature-based approaches suitable for diverse socio-economic contexts.
The module begins with the characterisation of wastewater and faecal sludge, including quality parameters, flows, and pollutant loads, providing the foundation for process selection and design. Preliminary and primary treatment processes are then introduced, with detailed coverage of screening, grit removal, and clarification, followed by the design and operation of primary sedimentation.
Biological treatment processes are explored in depth, including conventional activated sludge systems and their design principles, operational challenges, and performance optimisation. In parallel, low-cost and natural wastewater treatment (NWT) systems are examined, with a strong focus on waste stabilisation ponds (WSPs). This includes anaerobic, facultative, and maturation ponds, as well as high-rate anaerobic systems such as UASBs.
Sludge and faecal sludge management form a core component of the module. Topics include sludge production, stabilisation, drying, composting, anaerobic digestion, and safe disposal, alongside emerging approaches for nutrient and energy recovery.
Advanced and cross-cutting themes include treatment objectives, regulatory frameworks, and process optimisation using real datasets. The module also addresses wastewater reuse and discharge, covering effluent quality requirements, quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA), and international guidelines for agricultural reuse. Applications in rural, urban, and peri-urban settings are discussed, with attention to public health, environmental protection, and sustainability.
The module concludes with practical and applied learning through a practical session and coursework support sessions. Overall, the syllabus equips students with the conceptual understanding and practical skills required to design, evaluate, and manage wastewater and faecal sludge treatment systems.
Methods of assessment
The assessment details for this module will be provided at the start of the academic year
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 8 | 3 | 24 |
| Seminars | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| Fieldwork | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Private study hours | 108 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 42 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150 | ||
This is a highly interactive module with a lot of real-life examples and engineering problem case-based studies embedded. These give opportunities for formative feedback throughout the module.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team