The Department of Water Use and Environment was established in September 2012 through a merger of three departments: Department of Water Supply, Department of Sewage Disposal, and Department of Hydraulics. At present, the three former departments format the divisions of the presently existing Department.
History of the Department of Water Use and Environment
Department of Water Supply
The department was established in September 1909, initially named the Department of Water Conduits with project designing. For a few years the department was training civil engineers specializing in water supply for cities and other residential areas. Later, this specialization was expanded and water supply for industrial facilities was added. Department employees participated in the development and implementation of design projects for water supply of large cities and industrial complexes, and the construction of water supplying facilities.
Department of Sewage Disposal
In 1888, by resolution of the IGI Academic Council, a professorial Department of Sewages, Drainages, Water Supply, Causeways, and Dams was established for teaching all water-related disciplines in the construction area of studies, earlier taught in the course of the “Art of Construction.” In 1900/1901 academic year, an independent Department of Sewages split off; disciplines related to the construction of drainages and urban hydrotechnical facilities were also taught there. In the 1920s – 1930s, this department was called the Department of Water Disposal Systems.
Department of Hydraulics
The Department of Hydraulics was established in 1976. It was separated from the Department of Water Supply, then a leader in the development of water supply systems. The department’s research area is concentrated around protection of water reservoirs from sewage pollution and hydraulics of water supply and sewage networks and facilities.
Among other projects, specialists of these departments played an important role in such essential for St Petersburg projects as:
- Project design of the Flood Prevention Facility Complex unofficially the Saint Petersburg Dam, a 25 km (16 mi) complex of dams for flood control near Saint Petersburg
- Environmental standardization of waste water disposal in the Neva River Delta
- Development of the master layout of St Petersburg water supply and water sewage
- Formation of the Regulations of using the system of public water supply and sewage of St Petersburg
- Design and construction of the extension of the main St Petersburg northern collector.