We develop the water cycle, with special attention to the urban water cycle and its management. All the stages that make up this cycle and the different characteristics of both water and the infrastructures involved are detailed. It also provides the most appropriate management tools for each of these stages. Always, under the holistic vision of the entire water cycle and, therefore, of the interrelationships between each of the stages and their implication in a sustainable management of the resource within the cycle itself.

This credit introduces students to the water resources available and identifies the characteristics of each one according to its origin. Then, the different methods of exploitation of each one of them are specified, ensuring sustainability by taking care of both the quality and quantity of these resources. Alternative resources are also presented, with their advantages and disadvantages, in order to include them in the overall management of water resources.

Presentation of the regulatory framework by which water resources are legislated. The characteristics of the regulation that guarantee the rational and sustainable use of water, as well as its accessibility for all, will be discussed. The tools for the design of management models aimed at achieving these objectives will also be presented.

The contents applied in the integrated management of water resources, to detect all those agents and actors involved, the interrelationships between them and their consequences in the hydrological planning. The criteria for the participation of all these agents will be taken into account to ensure a basin management that responds to all the needs or demands detected.

This credit reviews the key concepts to understand the principles of nature-based solutions (NBS) and green infrastructures (GI), as well as the global strategies adopted at the international level and the current regulations at the European level that enhance their implementation. The main nature-based solutions in the water cycle, the benefits they bring and examples of their application are reviewed. Finally, you will learn the key aspects to take into account for the implementation or management of this type of infrastructure.

All physical, chemical and microbiological parameters that can influence water quality are presented. The most common contaminants, possible diseases and the sampling plan necessary to guarantee the quality of water for human consumption according to current legislation.

A complete knowledge of groundwater management and groundwater abstraction within the existing hydrogeological context. It analyzes the use of groundwater by means of vertical wells, from the initial phase of the location of the catchment, through the constructive design, and finally the development of one of the most common techniques for the protection of this type of catchments: the establishment of perimeters.

All the knowledge necessary to size a drinking water treatment plant, from the design of the catchment to the functional definition of all the treatment stages to which the water will be subjected in order to meet the desired quality parameters.

In this credit, membrane treatments, their purpose and operation are explained. The different types of membranes, their classification, their layout scheme and design parameters are presented in order to be able to simulate a treatment system using software.

To know how a drinking water treatment plant operates through the different practices for each unitary process, the parameters that need to be controlled in the process and how these operations affect water quality at the end of them. Likewise, different anomalous situations that can be found in the usual operation are identified and developed, and guidelines are defined to be able to continue with the operation in these cases.

A method to facilitate decision making in water treatment plant management. Criteria for personnel management, process optimization, automation requirements, as well as activity control parameters, management systems and cost elimination are presented.

It focuses on aquifers and the basics of hydrological and hydrogeological management and planning, in order to present the joint, coordinated and integrated use of surface and groundwater resources, both at the public and private operator level.

Introduction to wastewater treatment starting from its historical evolution and legal framework. The objectives of wastewater treatment are then defined, the characteristics of wastewater and the parameters for defining the flow to be treated are analyzed and finally the main wastewater treatment processes are described, providing the necessary knowledge for their selection.

Methodologies and techniques for the sizing of all the processes that make up the water treatment line of a wastewater treatment plant. The parameters that influence the design of each one of the processes will be discussed, from pretreatment and primary and secondary treatment, going in depth into the processes with biofilm, to disinfection. Natural treatment systems will also be presented.

Methodologies and techniques for the sizing of all the processes that make up the sludge treatment line of a wastewater treatment plant, indicating the necessary guidelines to identify when it is advisable to anaerobically digest the sludge, as well as the techniques to size the gas line when anaerobically digesting the WWTP sludge. Additionally, the credit provides the necessary knowledge to quantify the energy recovery by obtaining electrical energy from the calorific value of the biogas produced in the anaerobic digestion. Finally, it also provides guidelines for sizing the deodorization process to avoid the appearance of unbreathable atmospheres in the WWTP.

Knowledge about the normal operation of a wastewater treatment plant, highlighting the most important aspects involved in the operation. The parameters and elements to be controlled will be exposed, as well as the criteria used in each case. Specifically, the credit focuses on personnel management, control of each process of a WWTP, emission control, equipment regulation criteria, the consumption of a wastewater treatment plant (energy and reagents) and, finally, cost control.

We address the different issues of plant operation under abnormal or extraordinary conditions. We start with the definition of the extraordinary conditions in a wastewater treatment plant, to derive in the usual problems that the sewage network can suffer: uncontrolled discharges, hydraulic overload in episodes of high rainfall and infiltrations, as well as odor problems or bulking and foaming problems in the biological process, limitation of the treatment capacity or equipment breakdowns. Subsequently, problems related to dry weather discharges, internal drainage management and operational problems in the anaerobic digestion and gas line are explained.

Knowledge related to asset management in a purification facility, what it is used for and what tools can be used. Management methodologies are explained, as well as how to elaborate an inventory of electrical and mechanical assets and how to carry out a correct revision of the installations. Finally, the concepts of preventive and predictive maintenance are developed.

The topics related to the regeneration of water from a wastewater treatment plant are discussed. The different regeneration mechanisms are explained, as well as the criteria to select the most appropriate technologies, according to the final uses of the water. The most important operating parameters of the process are explained, as well as the criteria to define an appropriate analytical plan for quality control of the treatment and output water.