Students in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering went on two big trips this semester: one for competition and another for education.

Two teams of students, sponsored by the Virginia Water Environment Association (VWEA) competed in the annual Water Environment Federation (WEF) student design competition in Chicago, Illinois. The students spent a week at the WEF’s annual conference and presented their projects to a group of panelists and audience members from around the country.

One team presented on flooding mitigation best management practices for the City of Hampton, VA, and the other presented on biological treatment upgrades for a water reclamation facility in Prince William County, VA. 

Another group of students spent a camping weekend at Lake Gaston in Valentines, Virginia, to learn about water security in the Hampton Roads region, and the massive pumping station and pipeline put in place by the City of Virginia Beach to combat drought and groundwater overuse. The trip is an annual event sponsored by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.