Breadcrumb
Program Strengths
The discipline of environmental engineering was born out of public health concerns related to clean drinking water, outdoor air quality and the proper disposal of wastes.
How are we different?
In the Environmental Resources Engineering major we are taking the next step in the evolution of the discipline. We are expanding the definition of environmental engineering so our graduates can create solutions to complex environmental problems that sustain, restore and protect our natural resources.
ERE students look for big picture solutions to energy and restoration problems.
Some examples of this ethos in the ERE major are:
- Addressing global warming, perhaps the largest environmental challenge, requires developing and implementing sustainable energy solutions. Our curriculum examines renewable energy systems and their environmental consequences.
- Traditional environmental engineering problems such as the treatment of wastewater typically require high energy inputs. Looking at the broader environmental picture, ERE faculty pioneered the use of low energy-input treatment wetlands to treat wastewater.
- Restoration of river systems and wilderness areas often requires the removal of dams and roads. We engineer these removals so that sediment runoff is reduced and the rivers and forests can return quickly to health.
- Americans spend over 90% of our time indoors, and consume almost 50% of our nation's energy in buildings. Our program highlights how making our buildings tighter saves energy and also how to address the problem of indoor air pollution that results from more tightly sealed buildings.
Major Strength Areas
The ERE program has three major strength areas integrated throughout the curriculum and are the focus of our faculty's research interests.
Engineers in Energy Resources focus on designing, installing, and operating technologies that use our resources in a sustainable manner. Humboldt Energy Resources engineers investigate:
- Energy generation using renewable energy resources (such as solar, wind, and hydropower)
- Sustainable energy storage and transportation
- Energy efficiency through the optimal design and management of buildings.
Engineers in Water Resources focus on designing, implementing and managing water resources with conflicting and competing objectives and constraints. Humboldt Water Resources Engineers investigate:
- Conjunctive use of surface and ground water resources
- Restoration of stream channels
- Multi-purpose, multi-objective reservoir operation
- Proper function and design of fish passage structures
- Hydraulics and hydrology of watershed systems
What we do
Engineers in Water Quality focus on water and wastewater treatment, treatment wetland design, contaminant fate and transport, and water chemistry. Humboldt Water Quality Engineers investigate:
- Optimal water and wastewater treatment solutions for small communities
- Performance of wetland based wastewater treatment facilities
- Implementation of low cost and low energy wastewater treatment facilities in developing countries