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CVEN40930

Academic Year 2026/2027

Sustainable Water NBS Online (CVEN40930)

Subject:
Civil Engineering
College:
Engineering & Architecture
School:
Civil Engineering
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor John O'Sullivan
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
Online
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module intends to provide:
(i) a brief overview of the challenges faced within conventional water and wastewater treatment, and
(ii) an opportunity to explore some of the future technologies and solutions to address these challenges.

The module will be broadly split into themes (i.e. context, engineered treatment processes, catchment-based solutions) in which a range of technologies are discussed around topics such as low-energy treatment, resource recovery and enhanced pollutant removal. It will be delivered through online lectures, flipped classrooms, and virtual labs and field trips.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this module students should have:
1. a familiarity with the challenges facing the water sector (such as tightening regulation or a need for operational efficiencies)
2. the ability to describe several technologies which exist (or are being developed) to address these challenges
3. an understanding of how and where resource recovery can take place within water / wastewater treatment
4. an awareness of the role nature-based solutions can play in site- and catchment-scale management of water resources

Indicative Module Content:

1. Introduction to conventional treatment
2. Evaluation of current challenges in water/wastewater treatment
3. Identifying future need (for technologies, processes and solutions)
4. Low-energy water/wastewater treatment technologies
5. Removal of pollutants of emerging concern (e.g. antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, nutrients and heavy metals)
6. Resource recovery (e.g. advanced anaerobic digestion & bioelectrochemical systems for biogas, biohydrogen or biopolymer production)
7. Water recycling and reuse
8. Dual purpose rainwater harvesting
9. Nature-based sustainable drainage systems
10. Catchment-scale NBS

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

26
Autonomous Student Learning

50
Lectures

0
Online Learning

44
Total

120

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Online Lectures
Group work
Task-based learning
Virtual labs / field trips
Student presentations
Calculations and tutorials

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Exam (In-person): 2-hour in-person closed book exam End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
70
 No
Individual Project: This individual project will be set in Week 1 and will be due for submission in Week 6. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
30
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback will be provided in an appropriate and timely manner.

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