Environmental Engineering - Department of Environmental Health
The New GOV.KY Has Launched
Cleaner design, improved search and new features to help you get things done.
Environmental Engineering
Environmental Engineering is that branch of engineering which is concerned with: the protection of human population from the effects of adverse environmental conditions; the protection of the environment from potentially deleterious effects of human activities; and the improvement of environmental quality for human health and well-being.
This is done by the application of engineering principles in; air pollution control; collection, treatment, and distribution of water supplies; collection, treatment, and disposal of domestic and industrial wastes; control of land and water pollutants; collection, treatment, recycling, and disposal of solid wastes; radiation protection; industrial hygiene, milk and food sanitation; housing and institutional sanitation; and vector control.
The functions of the Engineering Section of the Environmental Health Department includes: the review of the environmental health aspects of building development, the review of environmental impact studies, the evaluation and approval of pollution control measures, the review of technical reports, the inspection of completed developments to ensure compliance with relevant environmental health standards and guidelines, the issuance of certificate of occupancy inspection reports for new developments, the preparation of engineering reports, conducting relevant engineering research, the analysis of engineering data, the inspection of pollution control equipment and preparation of inspection reports, the review and approval of swimming pool and spa design, the routine inspection of swimming pools and providing advice to the Chief Environmental Health Officer on matters related to the engineering aspects of environmental health.
For budgeting and other administrative purposes these activities are categorized under external outputs. The external outputs for the Engineering Section are as follows:
Plan Review
Environmental engineering plan review is concerned with the adequacy and needs for water supply, sewerage, solid waste disposal, air and water pollution control, housing, and a healthful residential environment, and nuisance control. It is also concerned with the environmental, economic, and social effects of industrial, agricultural, residential, commercial, highway, airport, recreational, and power development; storm water, drainage and flood control etc.
Environmental engineering plan review takes into consideration the environmental factors the need to be improved and those that can be developed to eliminate certain hazardous and annoying conditions while at the same time making needed or desired improvements. Incompatible or nonconforming structures or uses should be eliminated or adjusted to harmonize with the most desirable and obtainable environment.
Certificate of Occupancy Inspections
The Environmental Engineering team assists the Building Control Unit of the Planning Department with the required inspections after completion of each development in the Cayman Islands to ensure that the approved design requirements have been satisfied and in compliance with the relevant environmental health standards.
Engineering Advice and Reports
One of the key functions of the Engineering Section is to provide quality engineering advice to the Chief Environmental Health Officer, other sections of the department, and the parent ministry.
All businesses need timely, expert and experience-based engineering advice. There are few areas of government policy that do not have an engineering dimension to delivery. For government, therefore, engineering advice is vital early in the policy planning stage, not just at the point of delivery.
The identification and management of risk is increasingly part of the modern engineer’s skill set and, since risk management is a major concern of any organisation, this makes engineering advice critical to key decision-making. Such risks include ensuring that legal or regulatory standards are met, that novel risks with new technologies are identified and ameliorated well in advance of their uptake, and that health, safety and environmental impacts are not overlooked. Government and industry, alike, need sufficient science and engineering knowledge to properly frame the detailed questions they need to ask within their particular context and to properly assess the responses they get.
Engineering Monitoring Inspections
Engineering monitoring inspections refer to those engineering inspection carried out on a routine basis as part of the department’s overall inspection program to detect and abate statutory nuisance. These inspections can be in any aspect of environmental engineering such as, water, wastewater, air pollution control, noise pollution control, etc.
At the present time the Engineering Section conducts routine swimming pool monitoring inspections for tourism accommodation properties and yearly smoking lounge inspections for licensing.
Cemetery Capacity Reports
The provision of space for the burial of the dead is primarily provided by government. As the population grows there will be a need to ensure that sufficient burial capacity is provided. Since suitable land for burial is becoming scarce it is important that, as existing space becomes exhausted, new sites be located and prepared for use. This will require government to be able to predict when existing cemeteries will reach design capacity.
The department is responsible for the allocation of land for burial, design and construction of burial vaults. The maintenance of the grounds and landscaping is carried out by the Recreations, Parks & Cemeteries Unit (RPCU). The construction and maintenance of headstones and other grave monuments is usually the private responsibility of families of the deceased.
Cemetery capacity reports provide a summary of the burial capacity available in Grand Cayman and estimate the closure time for each public cemetery given current usage and burial practices. The estimation of burial capacity is based on the analysis of useable burial space, vault sales records, and population projections.
Vault Construction
Environmental engineering plan review is concerned with the adequacy and needs for water supply, sewerage, solid waste disposal, air and water pollution control, housing, and a healthful residential environment, and nuisance control. It is also concerned with the environmental, economic, and social effects of industrial, agricultural, residential, commercial, highway, airport, recreational, and power development; storm water, drainage and flood control etc.
Environmental engineering plan review takes into consideration the environmental factors the need to be improved and those that can be developed to eliminate certain hazardous and annoying conditions while at the same time making needed or desired improvements. Incompatible or nonconforming structures or uses should be eliminated or adjusted to harmonize with the most desirable and obtainable environment.
Other Cemeteries Projects
Other cemeteries projects relate to other capital or maintenance projects required such as new cemetery designs, retaining walls, perimeter walls, etc. that may be required from time to time.
