1. Kansas State University
  2. »Division of Communications and Marketing
  3. »K-State Today
  4. »Engineering students showcase ideas for maintaining state's water supply

K-State Today

May 13, 2014

Engineering students showcase ideas for maintaining state's water supply

Submitted by Communications and Marketing

If water is the liquid gold of the future, students in Kansas State University's hydraulic engineering course are developing solutions to keep Kansas' water supply bountiful.

On Friday, May 9, 46 civil engineering students presented ideas about how to disperse water from the proposed Kansas Aqueduct throughout Kansas. Some of the proposed solutions included creating a pipe or open channel that would move water to lakes in Kansas.

Mark Rude, executive director of the Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 3, listened to student proposals. Rude discussed the project and hydraulic aspects with students, as well as addressed the real world possibilities and ramifications of an aqueduct.

"The students have done a great job coming up with ideas, and offering solutions that help with a really important water project," said David Steward, professor of civil engineering, who instructs the hydraulic engineering course.

Steward said this aqueduct project is helping to prepare the K-State civil engineers of the future for the types of design challenges they will face throughout their careers.