Water engineering

Made for you if you care about the planet’s most precious natural resource and want to find solutions to better protect it.

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Did you know

$97,317
Average salary

(Genium360, Remuneration of engineering professionals in Quebec – Investigation report 2025-2026)
4 years
Duration of the bachelor’s degree in water engineering
2-in-1
This field combines civil engineering and chemical engineering expertise.
Studying water to predict pandemics
By analyzing wastewater in Montreal, scientists were able to predict a rise in COVID-19 cases in spring 2021. A clear example that water resources engineering goes far beyond pipes and treatment plants.
Drinking water is engineered
Ensuring drinking water quality—from the source to the tap.
Modelling floods
To anticipate and reduce risks for communities.

What you will actually do

As a water resources engineer, you’ll design and oversee systems that ensure water quality and management.

Carry out water balance studies, field inspections, and sampling campaigns.
Present design, construction, and operation reports to clients for drinking water and wastewater treatment projects.
Develop new water treatment systems or model existing facilities by integrating new technologies.
Design drinking water production systems.

Source: REPÈRES, the official school and career information website (in French)

Where do you see yourself?

Water resources engineers work in fields as varied as hydroelectric power, mining, and filtration plants.

Federal and provincial government (Department of Natural Resources)
Public–private partnership organizations
Wastewater treatment plants
Drinking water filtration plants
Hydroelectric industry
Food industry
Mining industry
Consulting engineering firms

Where to study

Universities offering the program

Université Laval

CLEANING WATER IN REAL TIME

The equivalent of an Olympic-size swimming pool in 15 seconds

When heavy rain falls, sewer systems overflow. Engineers design mathematical models and infrastructure to capture millions of litres of water in just a few minutes, preventing untreated water from flowing into the St. Lawrence River.

15 seconds

Stormwater treatment time at a plant in Longueuil

A UNIQUE RESEARCH COMPLEX IN NORTH AMERICA

A laboratory that monitors, predicts, and protects water in Quebec

Quebec is home to an integrated research complex dedicated to water management and quality. It helps improve water quality, better predict flooding, and understand how contaminants move through waterways.

Read the article about the research laboratory

Play Mission Génie to discover the type of engineering that suits you!

An interactive game to explore the different types of engineering and find the one that best matches your interests and talents.

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