Track Water Resources Engineering

Worldwide, water problems are increasing. Floods and droughts are following each other, while production of safe drinking water is a challenge, due to all kind of pollutions. Ground water resources are getting depleted and with current water extraction, major cities in the world are without safe water within this century. At the same time, new contaminants of emerging concern, such as antibiotic resistance, PFAS and pharmaceuticals are difficult to remove in wastewater treatment plants, polluting fresh water sources, needed for irrigation and drinking water production. At the same time, technologies are developed for (decentralised) water reuse, and recovery of other important resources from wastewater, such as energy and nutrients. Industries aim to recover every drop of water within their process.

In this track you will acquire the knowledge and develop the skills needed to address these challenges. You will learn to develop engineering solutions and adaptation strategies to ensure safe water access and proper sanitation and to prevent or minimize freshwater scarcity, water pollution and flooding. You can study the hydrological cycle, prevent urban flooding, find solutions for water shortage or develop new technologies for water treatment and transport.

You will learn more about the urban and rural water cycle, including rainfall, groundwater, surface water, urban drainage, municipal sewage, drinking and industrial water supply. In addition, the track addresses the prevention, assessment and mitigation of possible negative impacts of water engineering interventions on the environment and human wellbeing, including quantification methods for risk assessment.

Key features

➨ Develop advanced technical and scientific knowledge and skills to understand transport and storage of water
➨ Develop advanced technical and scientific knowledge and skills to understand and assess water quality.
➨ Develop technologies to study and design; water monitoring and control, water resources management, water infrastructure asset management, water treatment and supply.
➨ Assess circularity, related to water sensitive urban design, water efficiency, water reuse, and resource recovery.


| Highlighted Student Stories

A deep dive into the blue waters of Curaçao

A small red car is driving in reverse, while a TU Delft master student is leaning out of the passenger window. “Left, right, more left. You got this!” As pot-holes and puddles are avoided, trees with giant thorns scrape off the car’s varnish. Water equipment, boots and a giant hedge cutter tumble around on the back seat as the car manoeuvres sharp turns. ‘’I think it’s after the third cactus to the right… I see it, I see the mill! We’re here!’’


Research examples

Finding the perfect filter

Doing research on the ground isn’t always easy, Mona Soliman knows all too well. “The expectations are very high and people expect direct benefits from the presence of a research project on clean water.” In Nicaragua she analysed virus removal in ceramic pot filters.

Taking a piss? Or turning it into energy

Pee not only generates uncontrollable laughter in five-year-olds but energy as well. Niels van Linden is currently working on a concept to produce electricity from urban and industrial residual waters, which in turn will power the energy-neutral water treatment system he is hoping to develop.