12-657 Water Systems: Engineering, Analytics, and Decision Making
9 units, Carnegie Mellon University
Water is an essential resource and a destructive force that must be effectively managed to support the well-being of society and the environment. Water systems are essential for providing and managing water for services such as drinking water, sanitation, irrigation, hydropower, recreation, environmental flows, and flood control. This course provides students with an understanding of the engineering principles, analytical frameworks, and computational models used to analyze, design, and manage water systems in a changing climate. Students will develop and apply analytical and computational methods to model water systems, evaluate uncertainty and risk, optimize system performance, and compare alternative plans to support water resources planning and decision-making. Topics covered in the course include hydrology, water availability and demand, water resources planning and management, optimization and decision analysis, river basin modeling, system performance, probability and risk, and hydraulics for flood and stormwater management. Students will work on problem sets, run simulations, complete design projects, and work in groups to develop the technical, analytical, and decision-making skills needed to evaluate and address complex water systems challenges. These skills provide a foundation for careers involving the planning, design, and management of water systems, including flood and stormwater management and river basin planning.
Prerequisites: 12-355
Offered: Fall 2026, Fall 2025
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