Integrated Water Management at The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) at Main

Students can create solutions for global and local water issues with a career in water management. This program will prepare them for various roles such as water management specialist, water quality technician, watershed planner, flood planning technologist or junior hydrologist.

Students will get the training to become a water management expert and develop a strong understanding of the complex solutions and decisions required to balance the preservation of water-related ecosystems. They will learn water management best practices to manage hazards, safeguard human health and well-being, and support economic activities. Students will gain applied knowledge and market-sought skills developed through a final capstone project working directly with industry, as they specialize in either Water Environmental Technologies or Advanced Industry Applications. Students' expertise will develop through a combination of classroom and hands-on learning including field school and virtual reality labs.

Some of the key skills or competencies developed in the Integrated Water Management program include:

• develop a water monitoring program
• conduct key field measurements in hydrology, hydrogeology, soils, and vegetation using commonly used and emerging equipment and technology
• water data acquisition, management, and analysis to inform design and decision-making
• perform hydrological and hydrogeological calculations to inform design such as surface flow, stormwater control or restoration measures
• fundamental applications of GIS, Excel, HEC-RAS, and historical imagery
• stakeholder engagement and conflict resolution
• project planning and management
• select appropriate water management strategies and applications using multi-criteria analysis and systems thinking
• support water-related permitting applications and reporting, such as wetland assessments and Water Act approvals
• comprehensive understanding of the social, cultural, health, safety, and environmental aspects of water management, including Indigenous water stewardship
• develop emergency response and recovery plans incorporating increasing risks of extreme events and climate change
• conduct an emergency response adhering to incident command structure protocols
• apply tools, approaches, and resources for both climate adaptation and mitigation to water management