Some 51 of WelTec’s engineering students exhibited their final year projects
in Petone and the symposium was a myriad display of engineering feats
put together by Bachelor of Engineering Technology, Graduate Diploma
in Engineering and Diploma of Architectural Technology students who are
about to graduate.
Engineering Degree and Diploma programmes enrolling for 2020
www.engineeringnews.co.nz 17
“All students complete their
projects in partnership with
industry or an engineering
mentor,” says Neil McDonald, Head
of the School of Construction and
Engineering.
Amy Sutherland, a mum of three
and completing her Bachelor of
Engineering Technology, worked
with Hutt City Council on her water
project. Amy also worked closely
with her WelTec tutor, Dr Milad
Naghibi.
“Urbanisation has had severe
impacts on water quality with
stormwater runoff transporting
metals, pathogens, sediment and
pesticides into urban waterways,”
explains Amy.
“Hutt City Council built a rain
garden to help manage water and
contaminant flow from a 1200
square metre carpark, we wanted
to find out the effectiveness of
this,” explains Amy. “Rain gardens
are supposed to mimic nature’s
natural hydrological processes
to lower heavy water flows and
remove pollutants. I wanted to
make sure they did.”
Amy sampled the water run off into
the rain garden at different times
during a rainfall event.
“The rain garden removed over
65% of ‘suspended solids’ and
51% of zinc and significantly
reduced water flows after heavy
rain by 85%. There seemed to be
less successful removal of some
other contaminants, and it’s been
good to retrieve this data to better
understand which ones and why,”
says Amy.
Sylvio Leal, subdivision
engineer at Hutt City Council,
who worked with Amy on the
project, explained that there is an
increasing need to ensure that
engineers consider, understand
and take appropriate measures
to protect our environment
through engineered solutions.
“This can often be achieved
through the implementation of
suitable stormwater treatment
systems such as rain gardens,”
says Sylvio. “The experience and
understanding Amy gathered
through this project will be
invaluable for her engineering
career in this environmentally
focused era.”
During her final year of study Amy,
originally from Canada, worked at
engineering consultancy, GHD, and
will continue working there once
she has completed her study.
“I was only supposed to stay
in New Zealand for a ‘year of
adventure’,” says Amy. “But
after six years I am studying to
change my career from primary
school teaching to engineering
- back to my original passion of
environmental science!”
Bianca Mella who is finishing her
diploma, also with a focus on
water, moved to New Zealand from
Brazil in February. Like Amy, Bianca
is concerned about contamination
of groundwater and streams with
the disposal of chemical sludge.
The sludge is produced during
the chemical steps in water
treatment plants, while the water
is treated to become potable, the
chemical sludge is a solid waste
that goes into landfills with a risk of
contaminating the environment.
Bianca’s project successfully
demonstrated that it is possible
to develop an environmentally
friendly alternative to sludge by
recovering chemicals that can be
reused and she also developed
a new product to remove
contaminants from water and
wastewaters. Bianca’s WelTec tutor
was Dr Induka Werellagama.
“I recover the aluminium from the
sludge and removed colour from
a solution,” explains Bianca. “Both
of these are sustainable options to
extend the life cycle of the ‘sludge’
and add value to something which
is usually disposed of in a landfill.”
"My plan for next year is to find a
job where I can put into practice
all the knowledge I acquired
at WelTec, combined with my
experience from Brazil in water
and wastewater treatment
plants. I would like to help New
Zealand use its natural resources
practically, while still protecting the
environment," explains Bianca.
WelTec offers majors in Civil
Engineering specialising in water
and waste, or structures, and
Mechanical Engineering.
To find out more information contact:
Malcolm Fair - Programme Manager - 0272226457
WELTEC STUDENT
WORKS WITH
HUTT CITY COUNCIL
ON WATER QUALITY PROJECT
/www.engineeringnews.co.nz