Docsity
Docsity

Prepare for your exams
Prepare for your exams

Study with the several resources on Docsity


Earn points to download
Earn points to download

Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan


Guidelines and tips
Guidelines and tips

Final Assignment GENG2500, Assignments of Environmental Engineering

Final assignment for GENG2500 environmental engineering

Typology: Assignments

2022/2023

Uploaded on 12/10/2023

ben-bolger
ben-bolger 🇨🇦

1 document

1 / 5

Toggle sidebar

This page cannot be seen from the preview

Don't miss anything!

bg1
GENG$2500$Engineering$and$the$Environment$$
Fall$2023$–$Instructors:$Dr.$Rajesh$Seth$and$Dr.$Edwin$Tam$
COURSE$PROJECT$–$Engineering$Projects$in$the$Community$
GROUP$Project:$Form$into$groups$of$6$students.$As$a$group,$you$will$receive$one$grade$
for$ the$ group$ portion$ of$ the$ assignment.$ As$ individuals,$ you$ will$ receive$ a$ second$
grade$for$your$work$in$a$subgroup$of$2$students.$
$
WRITE$ ALL$ STUDENTS’$FULL$ NAMES,$ STUDENT$ IDs,$ and$ UWIN$ IDs$ ON$ YOUR$
SUBMISSION.$THIS$PROJECT$WILL$BE$SUBMITTED$VIA$BRIGHTSPACE.$
!
Many!of!Canada’s!First!Nations!communities!are!facing!a!drinking!water!crisis.!In!a!number!
of!them,!the!community!does!not!have!access!to!a!reliable!source!of!clean,!potable!(drinkable)!
water.!The!following!provides!an!overview!of!the!situation:!
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44961490!
!
The!Canadian!Federal!Government!has!been!active!in!trying!to!address!this!situation.!See!the!
following:!!
https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1100100034879/1521124927588
https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1506514143353/1533317130660!
!
There! are! significant! criticisms! on! what! is! being! done! and! the! pace! at! which! they! are!
proceeding.!As!well,! individual! communities! have! unique! circumstances! to!deal!with.! The!
following!describes! what! one! community! is! currently! going! through! to! handle!this! water!
crisis!in!2020.!!
https://globalnews.ca/news/7457955/neskantaga-first-nation-water-crisis/
!
For!a!deeper!understanding!of!the!history,!see!the!following:!
https://thewalrus.ca/what-would-it-look-like-to-take-the-first-nations-water-crisis-
seriously/!
!
There!are!many$more$resources$and$articles!that!can!be!found!online.!!
!
!
THE$SCENARIO$
!
A!northern! Manitoba! First!Nations!community!has!been! under! a! boil!water!advisory!for!2!
years.!The!community! has! 2500! First! Nations!residents:!most! live! there! year! round,!with!
only!several!hundred!living!there!part!time!as!they!travel!in!the!province!and!across!Canada!
for!seasonal!or!contract!employment.!
!
The!community!had!a!primary!treatment!facility!to!filter!and!treat!water!from!a!nearby!lake.!
However,! a! mine! located! about! 10! km! away! expanded! its! operations! 5! years! ago.! Many!
pf3
pf4
pf5

Partial preview of the text

Download Final Assignment GENG2500 and more Assignments Environmental Engineering in PDF only on Docsity!

GENG 2500 Engineering and the Environment

Fall 20 23 – Instructors: Dr. Rajesh Seth and Dr. Edwin Tam COURSE PROJECT – Engineering Projects in the Community GROUP Project: Form into groups of 6 students. As a group, you will receive one grade for the group portion of the assignment. As individuals, you will receive a second grade for your work in a subgroup of 2 students. WRITE ALL STUDENTS’ FULL NAMES, STUDENT IDs, and UWIN IDs ON YOUR SUBMISSION. THIS PROJECT WILL BE SUBMITTED VIA BRIGHTSPACE. Many of Canada’s First Nations communities are facing a drinking water crisis. In a number of them, the community does not have access to a reliable source of clean, potable (drinkable) water. The following provides an overview of the situation: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada- 44961490 The Canadian Federal Government has been active in trying to address this situation. See the following: https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1100100034879/ https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1506514143353/ There are significant criticisms on what is being done and the pace at which they are proceeding. As well, individual communities have unique circumstances to deal with. The following describes what one community is currently going through to handle this water crisis in 2020. https://globalnews.ca/news/7457955/neskantaga-first-nation-water-crisis/ For a deeper understanding of the history, see the following: https://thewalrus.ca/what-would-it-look-like-to-take-the-first-nations-water-crisis- seriously/ There are many more resources and articles that can be found online. THE SCENARIO A northern Manitoba First Nations community has been under a boil water advisory for 2 years. The community has 2 500 First Nations residents: most live there year round, with only several hundred living there part time as they travel in the province and across Canada for seasonal or contract employment. The community had a primary treatment facility to filter and treat water from a nearby lake. However, a mine located about 10 km away expanded its operations 5 years ago. Many

suspect the expansion has disturbed and pushed extra sediments into the lake and contaminated the water supply; however, repeated tests have not proven any link. In addition, about 10 children have fallen ill with symptoms that are consistent with mine contaminants, but again, there is no concrete proof. A significant number of the community residents work at the mine as professionals, technical support, managers, and labourers, so there is concern that if too many issues are raised, the mine may relocate and take away its jobs. Regardless, the existing treatment facility is no longer able to meet the residents’ needs. While boiling water was feasible for the first month, it soon proved too difficult. As a result, in addition to boiling water, potable water (“potable” is safe, drinkable water) has also been trucked in once per week. However, during the summer months of June and July, the ground has proven too wet to truck in water, and climate change is accelerating the impacts on transportation. The community has depended on the cold winter months to develop “ice highways” so that trucks can ship supplies, including water, to them. To compensate, extra water is delivered in May but there are concerns that if the trucks encounter poor driving conditions or bad weather, their entire summer supply of potable water is in jeopardy. The residents are obviously quite concerned about the water situation. In addition, the community is located close to a port on the Hudson Bay, and there are many wildlife tourism operators using the community as a home base for their operations all year round. Ironically, the demand for northern region tourism is increasing because climate change is decreasing the amount of ice and snow that would otherwise prevent travel. The previous year, tje trucked water was “just enough” for the residents and the tourists. For the next year, the community is planning to add an additional 25% capacity for more tourism. However, the current trucked water will be insufficient unless the ability to truck water is improved, or there is a more permanent water supply solution. You and your colleagues are with the engineering section of Anstar Engineering. Anstar has been retained by the Federal Canadian and Manitoba governments to investigate and assess how the community should address its drinking water needs. Based on what you know to date, there are three general alternatives.

1. Improving and retrofitting the existing water treatment facility to bring it up to **_current operating specifications; or

  1. Expanding the delivery network to improve the frequency and assurance that_** **_potable water can be trucked in; or
  2. Installing a pipe to access a lake 40 km away, and installing a new water_** treatment facility to treat the new source of water. In scenario (2), you can assume that any existing infrastructure would have to be upgraded to accommodate the increased traffic and heavier loads. The following table outlines the major characteristics of each alternative.

Upgrade Existing Water Facility Expand and Improve Trucked Water Install Pipeline and New Facility Category Construction Operation Upgrade Operation Upgrade Operation Environment Benefits Impacts Economic Social (community) Group Portion Specifics:

  • Your group analysis cannot exceed two pages , word processed.
  • Use a minimum 11 size font in either Times New Roman or Arial.
  • All students in the group will receive the same mark as the entire group for this group portion. PART B: SUBGROUP ANALYSES Your group of six students will be subdivided into THREE groups of TWO students each. Each subgroup represents the following: Group 1: Government - proponent (2 students) Two engineers from Anstar serve as liaisons with the federal Canadian and Manitoba governments. You are advising the governments on which option they should pursue to serve the community.

à Your task is to argue which water treatment alternative is the most efficient and cost

effective means possible from the government perspective. Group 2: Community (2 students) Two engineers from Anstar serve as liaisons with the community. You are advising the First Nations community on which option they should pursue.

à Your task is to argue which water treatment alternative can deliver safely potable water to

the The community community. Group 3: Tribunal (2 students) Two engineers from Anstar serve as liasions with the final decision makers on what alternative should be pursued. The final decision makers are an independent tribunal of First Nations/representatives, water treatment experts, and some regional government administrators. As engineers, you will be recommending an alternative to the tribunal.

à Your task is to first understand the arguments made by both Group 1 and Group 2 , and

after hearing the arguments presented, you will make a recommendation: what is the preferred water treatment alternative? Comment on if this recommendation is different from the one recommended from the previous Group Sustainability analysis (Part A). Subgroup Portion Specifics:

  • Your individual subgroup submission cannot exceed one page , word processed.
  • Use a minimum 11 size font in either Times New Roman or Arial.
  • As an individual student, you will receive the same mark as your subgroup. Project Submission and Grading
  • THIS PROJECT IS DUE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2023, 11:59 pm.
  • Your grade on this project will be: 50% group (2 page) + 50% subgroup (1 page).
  • Submit your work electronically to Brightspace. Each group member should submit their own copy (even though all group members will submit the same package) to create an entry space for the marker to enter a grade.
  • The submission should be a compiled PDF document with the following six pages :
  1. Cover page identifying: 1) All six members of the group, including their student ID and UWinID; 2) Each of the three subgroups and who is in the subgroup. (1 page)
  2. Group sustainability analysis. Ensure the group has identified the preferred alternative. (2 pages)
  3. Subgroup 1 analysis. (1 page)
  4. Subgroup 2 analysis. (1 page)
  5. Subgroup 3 analysis. (1 page) Ensure that subgroup 3 has identified which subgroup (1 or 2) has presented the best argument: which water treatment alternative is preferred and why?