As an Environmental Engineering student at the University of Waterloo, you’ll have access to fun and interesting people and places within the department and faculty, the university as a whole and broader Waterloo area.
Green Residence
Students have an incredibly important role to play in making the University of Waterloo a more sustainable campus. To support students in this journey, we've launched the Green Residence program in partnership with Campus Housing.
The goal of the Green Ambassador program is to build student sustainability leadership skills and experience, support sustainable behaviours across the residence community, and provide meaningful feedback to the University on housing sustainability.
The Green Residence Ambassador program is an amazing opportunity for students to:
- Gain valuable leadership, teamwork, and communication experience
- Make a tangible impact in lowering your environmental footprint
- Make new friends and have fun!
Applications for the Green Residence Ambassador positions for Fall 2025/Winter 2026 are now open!
The Green Residence program is excited to continue for fall 2025 and winter 2026. Student ambassadors will help to plan and lead sustainability pop-ups and events to engage peers on sustainable living in residence.
The anticipated time commitment is ~1-2 hours per week from September 2025 through April 2026 (with breaks for Reading Week and other holidays), with a $150 honorarium each term.
For more information, please read the Green Residence Ambassador role description.
Environmental and Geological Engineering Design Days
This two-day design and build challenge takes place at the end of the winter term of your first year of studies. Students from Geological and Environmental Engineering come together in our Sedra Student Design Centre to take on the challenge of designing and crafting an embankment for the City of Waterloo. The students are encouraged to use their learned knowledge from their courses to construct an embankment that will not fail when tested. Teams present their designs to a panel of judges before they are tested for strength and structural soundness by filling up the embankment with water, prizes being awarded to top groups!
The Sedra Student Design Centre consists of over 20 000 square feet of space dedicated to design teams and student projects. There are more than two dozen design teams, all of which are student-led, and many of which represent Waterloo internationally. It is the largest facility of its type in North America.
Student Design Teams
Engineers Without Borders
Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is an non-governmental organization founded by Waterloo graduates that work towards ending poverty within the world. With 34 professional and student chapters across Canada, we work to support initiatives in Ghana, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, and many more countries. The University of Waterloo EWB chapter is committed to developing leaders with the skills and perspective necessary to create sustainable social change in local, national, and international communities, especially focusing on Indigenous communities within Canada. The UW chapter of EWB is also working towards a globalization of engineering curriculum and encourage growth within the fair trade market.
Warrior Home
The Warrior Home Design Team is a multidisciplinary student design team at the University of Waterloo working towards implementing a high-performance, sustainable, and net-zero energy building in the affordable housing market. Each year, the team hopes to partner with a community that seeks to improve building design with a focus on sustainability and resilience.
UW Concrete Canoe Team
The UW Concrete Canoe Team designs, builds, and races a canoe made entirely of reinforced concrete for the annual Canadian National Concrete Canoe Competition (CNCCC).
The competition rules change each year to incorporate new challenges, and we are generally evaluated for our concrete mix design, hull design/modelling, structural design/analysis, construction & project management, sustainability, including GHG accounting, impact evaluation & mitigation, equity diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, paddling race performance, and spirit. We also dabble in programming, website/UX design, graphic design and much more.
Students from all backgrounds and programs are encouraged to join! No experience is required and no matter your interests, there is something for everyone.
Women in Engineering
Women in Engineering (WiE) at the University of Waterloo supports women and non-binary engineering students and alumni, while encouraging the next generation to pursue a future career in engineering.
The WiE committee members come from a variety of backgrounds which helps meet the diverse needs of our audience. Since 1992 WiE has been providing resources, programs, and networking opportunities for women in engineering at Waterloo.
WiE is an inclusive community that encourages participation regardless of gender, orientation, or background. All are welcome to attend!
Midnight Sun Solar Car
Success comes easier when you have a community of people cheering you on. Through clubs, teams, events, and even your classes, you’ll form a social network that connects you to fun, new experiences, and support throughout your time at Waterloo.
Civil, Environmental, Architectural and Geological Engineering Society
University of Waterloo Civil, Environmental, Architectural and Geological Engineering Society (CEAGES) seeks to improve the social and professional lives of the University of Waterloo’s Civil, Environmental, Architectural and Geological Engineering students. Home of the Concrete Canoe, Concrete Toboggan and Steel Bridge Teams!
Undergraduate Facilities
There are several facilities available to Environmental Engineering students, such as our various DWE Water Laboratories.
