Municipal Engineering Fundamentals for Non-Engineers

In-person outline:

Day 1

Overview of the Municipal Engineering Function

• What is unique about municipal engineering?
• What are the challenges of designing municipal infrastructure systems?
• What tools and standards are used by municipal engineers?

Street Planning, Design, and Maintenance

• Planning and functional classification systems
• Urban vs. rural roadway geometric standards
• Intersections and sidewalks
• Soils, water, and pavement thickness design
• Pavement management systems
• Preventive maintenance and rehabilitation
• Traffic engineering and operation
• Traffic engineering studies
• Understanding a civil engineering plan set

Water Supply Systems 

• Projecting water system demand
• Calculating average demand
• Estimating peak demand
• Accommodating fire flows

Water Distribution 

• Water mains
• Water storage requirements
• Metering and water loss
• Valves and hydrants
• Testing

Water Treatment - Groundwater and Surface Water

• Physical and chemical processes
• Hardness and softening
• Filtration and disinfection

Day 2

Sanitary Sewerage Systems

• Projecting system capacity
• Sewer collection systems
  • Design parameters
  • Materials
  • Maintenance
• Treatment Plant Considerations
  
  • Hydraulic and waste loadings
  • Phosphorous and nitrogen
  • Special loadings
• Treatment processes:
  • Primary
  • Secondary
  • Tertiary

Stormwater Drainage and Control Systems

• Why we manage stormwater
• Understanding rainfall and runoff, and the “Rational Formula”
• Drainage system design
• Catch basins and inlets
• Flood control: detention, flow control, and regional approaches,
• Water quality: EPA, NPDES, and MS4s
• Combined sewers
• Stormwater best management practices (BMPs) and sustainability

Online Course Modules - Not offered at this time

Pre-course Activity

• Overview of the Course
• Overview of the Municipal Engineering Function
• What is unique about municipal engineering?
• What are the challenges of designing municipal infrastructure systems?
• What tools and standards are used by municipal engineers?

Session 1 - Street Design, Maintenance and Rehabilitation

• Soils, water, and pavement thickness design
• Pavement management
• Preventive maintenance and rehabilitation
• Estimating and Bidding

Session 2 - Street Planning and Traffic Engineering

• Planning and functional classification systems
• Urban vs. rural roadway geometric standards
• Intersections and sidewalks
• Traffic engineering and operation
• Traffic engineering studies 

Session 3 - Storm Drainage

• Catch Basins & Inlets
• Regulatory considerations
• Combined Sewers
• Stormwater Quality
• BMP’s & BMP Application

Session 4 - Water Systems

• Water Supply
• Water Treatment
• Water Demand and Water System Sizing
• Water Distribution System 

Session 5 - Sanitary Sewers and Waste Treatment

• Projecting System Capacity
• Collection System
• Treatment Techniques
• Treatment Plant Design

Registration Date/Time:
11/18/2025 8:00am Central Time

Event Dates/Times:

• 11/18/2025  8:30am - 5:00pm Central Time
• 11/19/2025  8:30am - 5:00pm Central Time

• Instructors

  Benjamin Jordan

  Program Director

  Benjamin J. Jordan, PE, is a program director with Interdisciplinary Professional Programs in the transportation sector. He has over 35 years of experience in civil engineering and public works. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and a Master of Public Affairs degree with a Certificate in Public Management from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois.

  Dave Hutton

  Senior Project Manager

  Dave Hutton is a Senior Project Manager with SEH, Inc. For the last 20 years he has been a consultant engineer primarily serving Minnesota municipalities, working on City project delivery for a variety of street, utility, and trenchless projects. Before joining SEH Dave served as Public Works Director/City Engineer for the cities of Savage and Shakopee Minnesota and Assistant City Engineer for West Bend, Wisconsin. He has over 40 years of civil engineering experience and is a registered Professional Engineer in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. He is past president of the Minnesota Chapter of APWA and very active in their Education and Training Committee. Dave has been an instructor in the Minnesota Public Works Certificate program since 2012.

  Greg Fries

  Deputy City Engineer

  Caroline Burger

  Senior Water Resources Engineer

  Andy Sikich

• Program Director

  Benjamin Jordan

Fee covers course materials, lunch, breaks and certificate of participation.

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

• Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
• Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
• You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Enroll over the phone and pay by credit card.

• Call CERC Registrations at 608-262-2451.
• Provide the registrations representative with:
  • the course name, dates, and/or course number.
  • the necessary course attendee information and payment information.
• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

• Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
• Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
• Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

• Request Purchase Order information from interpro@union.wisc.edu
  • If a fee quote is needed, contact custserv@interpro.wisc.edu first
• You will receive an invoice from UW–Madison Business Services for payment, usually within 3–5 business days

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email interpro@union.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

If you cannot attend, please notify us no later than one week before your course begins, and we will refund your fee. Cancellations received after this date and no-shows are subject to a $150 administrative fee. You may enroll a substitute at any time before the course starts.