Drainage engineers design and construct drainage systems for sewers and storm water systems. They evaluate the options to design drainage systems that meet the requirements while ensuring compliance with legislation and environmental standards and policies. Drainage engineers choose the most optimal drainage system to prevent floods, control irrigation and direct sewage away from water sources.
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of drainage engineer. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of drainage engineer with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of drainage engineer.
Engineering principles: The engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects. Hydraulic fluid: The various types, qualities and applications of hydraulic fluids used in metalworking processes such as forging and moulding, consisting out of mineral oils and water. Technical drawings: Drawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings. Hydraulics: The power transmission systems that use the force of flowing liquids to transmit power. Engineering processes: The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems. Flood remediation equipment: The operation of the necessary tools and equipment used in flood damage and remediation activities, such as pumping flooded properties. Types of pipelines: Know various types of pipelines and their different usages. Differentiate between pipelines used to transport goods over short and long distances, and understand their respective feeding systems.
These skills are necessary for the role of drainage engineer.
Ensure compliance with environmental legislation: Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices. Survey sites for pipeline installation: Perform surveys of different kinds of sites, such as inland or maritime site, for the planning and construction of pipeline infrastructure. Ensure regulatory compliance in pipeline infrastructures: Ensure that the regulations for pipeline operations are met. Ensure pipeline infrastructure compliance with legal mandates, and compliance with regulations governing the transportation of goods via the pipelines. Ensure compliance with safety legislation: Implement safety programmes to comply with national laws and legislation. Ensure that equipment and processes are compliant with safety regulations. Design drainage well systems: Design systems which are found in residential properties as well as in public properties such as on streets and public building rooftops, and which function to drain excess water from these areas. They function to aid in flood remediation, remove rain, and minimise risk from heavy storms, and subsequently transport the untreated water into nature. Adjust engineering designs: Adjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements. Perform scientific research: Gain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations. Use technical drawing software: Create technical designs and technical drawings using specialised software. Mitigate environmental impact of pipeline projects: Strive to mitigate the potential impact that pipelines and the goods transported in them can have on the environment. Invest time and resources into consideration of the environmental effects of the pipeline, the actions that could be taken to protect the environment, and the potential increase in the costs of the project. Create designs for pipeline engineering: Design pipeline infrastructure considering engineering principles. Create blueprints, measure sites, define materials, and present functional proposals for their construction. Consider the impact of material characteristics on pipeline flows: Consider the characteristics of goods in order to ensure that pipeline flows are uninterrupted. Anticipate the density of goods in the design of pipelines or in daily maintenance of pipeline infrastructures. Identify risk of flooding: Identify the areas which are most at risk to be damaged by floods, such as areas close to rivers, as well as identifying the events which would cause floods such as changes in the weather. Analyse route possibilities in pipeline projects: Analyse sufficient route possibilities for developing pipeline projects. Ensure that crucial elements such as environment, the features of a location, purpose, and other elements are considered. Analyse the best route possibilities while attempting to maintain a balance between budget and quality. Approve engineering design: Give consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of drainage engineer. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Water policies: Have a solid understanding of policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations concerning water. Irrigation systems: The methods and systems management in irrigation. Pollution prevention: The processes used to prevent pollution: precautions to pollution of the environment, procedures to counter pollution and associated equipment, and possible measures to protect the environment. Environmental engineering: The application of scientific and engineering theories and principles aimed at improving the environment and sustainability, such as the provision of clean habitation necessities (such as air, water, and land) for humans and other organisms, for environmental remediation in the event of pollution, sustainable energy development, and improved waste management and waste reduction methods. Water reuse: Principles of water re-use processes in complex circulation systems.
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of drainage engineer. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Develop irrigation strategies: Plan the deployment of methods and procedures for watering the land by artificial means, taking into account strategies for water use sustainability.
Detect flaws in pipeline infrastructure: Detect flaws in pipeline infrastructure during construction or over the passage of time such as construction defects, corrosion, ground movement, hot-tap made by error, and others. Advise on pollution prevention: Advise individuals and organisations on the development and implementation of actions which aid in the prevention of pollution and its related risks. Advise on irrigation projects: Advise on the construction of irrigation projects. Review contractor orders to ensure the compatibility of the design with installation concepts and pre-existent grounds master plan. Monitor the contractor’s work. Develop flood remediation strategies: Develop plans and design equipment for the prevention of floods and efficient aid in the event of a flood, by assessing the risks, identifying improvements in existing strategies, and designing new strategies in flood remediation. Prepare timelines for pipeline development projects: Prepare timescales and project schedules for implementation of activities and follow up in pipeline development projects. Include in the preparation customer requests, materials required, and specification of the activities to be undertaken. Monitor legislation developments: Monitor changes in rules, policies and legislation, and identify how they may influence the organisation, existing operations, or a specific case or situation. Conserve natural resources: Protect waters and natural resources and coordinate actions. Work with environmental agencies and resource management personnel. Perform follow-up on pipeline route services: Perform follow-up activities related to the plan, the distribution schedule, and the service yielded by the pipeline infrastructure. Ensure that pipeline route assignments are accomplished and meet customer agreements. Follow up pipeline integrity management priorities: Perform follow up on priority actions in the pipeline infrastructure, such as complete coverage, service consistency, and facilitation.
