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ENVE 275Aquatic Chemistry

Units
0.50
Faculty
Engineering
Subject
Environmental Engineering

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 2 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 2 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

Overview of principles of equilibrium chemistry in aquatic systems, both in the natural environment and in contaminated water treatment processes. Composition of water. Electroneutrality and activity. Chemical thermodynamics. Acid-base equilibria concepts, including solution pH, titration, buffering intensity, and alkalinity. Metal complexation, dissolution, and precipitation reactions in natural and engineered systems. Redox reactions and pE-pH diagrams in aerobic and anaerobic environments.

Prerequisites

  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • CHE102 - Chemistry for Engineers (0.50)
    • ENVE175 - Introduction to Environmental Chemistry (0.50)

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

No course lists it as a requisite.

Winter 2027 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 00143630 / 84MW 13:00–14:20
LEC 701182284 / 9999Online or by arrangement
LAB 20143650 / 28T 14:30–16:20
LAB 20243660 / 28W 14:30–16:20
LAB 20346170 / 28Th 14:30–16:20
TUT 10143640 / 84M 14:30–15:20

Reviewed on UW Flow

79% liked it50% easy70% useful

From 19 ratings and 4 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • Just pH the whole time

    Apr 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Personally I enjoyed this course a lot, prof Pham is great, but I also know many who disagree. Practice midterms/finals were decent for studying but don't memorize solutions! learn how and why they work. the midterm and final felt really long despite them not seeming that long so be careful

    Mar 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • One of the hardest courses in the first half of the degree. Anh Pham really loves to challenge the students, which is much appreciated.

    Nov 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • This course is pretty hard content wise, made a little worse by the structure of the course. Every topic sort of flows to the next one without realizing so it can be hard to review or ask questions about certain topics. Always start the assignments as early as possible as some of them take many hours. Going to lectures is very necessary to understand the content.

    Apr 2024 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

One post or comment in 1 thread mentions ENVE 275, July 2019 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Spring 2019

Why do people always look down on Environmental Engineering and assume it's not an 'real' engineering program? 31 points, 37 comments

“During the Engineering 101 day, I felt a bit embarrassed in group 3. I felt like people were judging me from other groups and within my own group. …”

u/alt-goldgrun: “People in engineering have such a superiority complex. The circlejerking is even stronger in first year, when people like to flaunt whichever program they're in before they realize they actually hate …”

u/alt-goldgrun: “… I don't know anyone in ENVE, but it sounds like a lot of the required courses involve chemistry and biology (BIOL240, ENVE275, etc), and that might or might not be up your alley. …”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar