Sanitary engineering is the application of engineering methods to improve the sanitation of human communities. The field encompasses both water supply and wastewater, which are often combined under a single term: sanitary engineering. Today, there are many different types of engineers who specialize in this important field such as civil engineers (who work on sewer systems), environmental engineers (who create green spaces for people to enjoy), or mechanical & industrial engineers (who design equipment used in wastewater treatment).

Some of the most common tasks undertaken by sanitary engineers are:

* Designing and overseeing sewage treatment plants to process wastewater.

– Ensuring that wastewater is properly filtered, disinfected, treated with chlorine or UV radiation, then discharged into rivers, streams, or other bodies of water in a process called “effluent reuse.”

– Planning for adequate sewage collection systems where they don’t exist. This typically includes designing large underground storage tanks (called septic tanks) and connecting them to sewers running out from homes and buildings; smaller-scale versions may be installed when new roads are built.