Design of Sanitary Sewer and Storm Water Drainage Systems - Workshop

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Analyze existing sanitary sewer and stormwater systems to identify performance issues, risks, and rehabilitation needs
• Apply accepted hydrologic and hydraulic methods to plan and design sanitary sewer and stormwater drainage systems
• Design sanitary sewer systems that meet capacity, velocity, and operational requirements
• Design stormwater drainage systems that satisfy flood management, water quality, and environmental objectives
• Evaluate and select stormwater management and mitigation strategies using industry‑standard tools and models

Description

Sanitary sewer and stormwater drainage systems are critical municipal assets but are often the source of recurring operational, environmental, and infrastructure challenges when design assumptions, site constraints, or long‑term performance are not fully considered. Decisions made during the planning and design phases directly influence system reliability, maintenance demands, regulatory compliance, and environmental impact.

This three‑day course provides structured, practical development in the planning and design of sanitary sewer and stormwater drainage systems. You will review key hydrologic and hydraulic principles, examine design criteria and regulatory considerations, and work through real‑world design challenges that reflect current professional practice. Emphasis is placed on understanding system behaviour, making defensible design decisions, and recognizing potential risks before they become costly problems.

Through guided workshops and case‑based exercises, you will complete sanitary sewer and stormwater drainage system designs and evaluate mitigation strategies for urban development impacts. The course reinforces how design choices affect long‑term performance, maintenance requirements, and environmental outcomes, while building confidence in applying tools and methodologies directly to your projects.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for:

• Consulting and municipal engineers involved in infrastructure planning and design
• Civil, municipal, and public works project engineers
• Engineering technologists and technicians supporting sewer and stormwater design
• Construction managers and field engineering staff
• Wastewater and stormwater system managers
• Early‑career through senior professionals responsible for drainage and servicing decisions

Day I

Sanitary Sewer System

Planning For a Sanitary Sewer System

• Planning objectives
• Layout objectives

Sewer Hydrology and Hydraulics - A Review

• Gravity flow in pipes
• Hydraulic gradient calculations
• Non-uniform open channel flow
• Computer applications in hydraulics
• Hydrology
• The hydrologic cycle
• Rainfall and surface water

Sanitary Sewer System Design

• Peaking factors
• Minimum and maximum velocities
• Self-cleansing velocities
• Minimum pipe size/slope
• Cleansing velocity
• Capacity design
• Infiltration
• Sewer pipes
• Separation of water main and sewers
• Optimum bedding conditions
• Cover
• Manholes
• Loading calculations for various types of land use

Sanitary and Pump Stations

• Need for pump stations
• Site selection and other considerations
• General pump station design
• Wet well design
• System head analysis and pump selection
• Force main design

Sewer Maintenance and Rehabilitation

• Sewer problems
• Critical sewers
• Planning investigation
• Assessing the system condition

Workshop I - Design of a Sanitary Sewer
Participants will work on a design exercise

Adjournment

Day II

Stormwater Drainage System

Drainage and Stormwater Design Criteria

• Impacts of Urbanization
• Rate control for flood management
• Volume Control
• Water balance, recharge & base flow criteria
• Water quality control
• Erosion control
• Other Criteria & Considerations

Hydrology Overview

Rainfall Analyses

• Storm distribution in time
• Historical storms
• Storm frequencies
• Design storms
• Flood frequencies

Time of Concentration - Review of Design Equations & Selection

• Bransby Williams Equation
• Kirpich Equation
• Airport Formula

Hydrology - Methods of Computing Runoff & Design Flows

• Computer model and data input
• Runoff coefficients
• Hydrograph Method
• Estimating discharge using recorded stream flow

• Impacts of Climate Change on Rainfall

Hydraulic Design of Open Channel Flow

• Manning's Equation
• Stable Channels
• Composite Channels
• Triangular Channels & Gutters
• Closed conduits

Workshop II - Design of Stormwater Drainage System
Participants will work on a design exercise

Adjournment

Day III

Stormwater Design & Impact Mitigation

Review of Drainage Design Computer Software

• Simple models compared to complex models
• User expectations and required knowledge
• Introduction to SWMM Modeling

How to Select Stormwater Best Management Facilities

• Major and minor system design
• A review of the most frequently used control practices
• Review the latest technologies (porous pavement, green roofs, bio-retention, etc.)
• Green Stormwater Infrastructure / Low-Impact Development
• Numerical calculations and analysis methodology
• Computer modelling and input parameters
• A case study of development with mitigation alternatives

Detention Pond Design

• Detention pond design basics
• Detention pond modelling concepts
• Components of stormwater facilities
• Routing data: storage and hydraulics relationships
• Inlet and outlet design

Workshop III - Design of Mitigation System
Participants will work on a design exercise.

Questions and Answers - Feedback to Participants on Achievement of Learning Outcomes