Environmental engineering is a science and technology that studies and engages in preventing and controlling environmental pollution and improving environmental quality. Environmental engineering is related to ecology in biology, environmental hygiene and environmental medicine in medicine, environmental physics and environmental chemistry. Because environmental engineering is in its infancy, the discipline field is still developing, but its core is the treatment of environmental pollution sources.

Environmental engineering is formed in the process of human beings fighting against environmental pollution and protecting and improving the living environment. In the development and protection of water resources, China created the sinking technology as early as around 2300 BC, which promoted the formation of villages and markets. Later, in order to protect the water source, the system of guarding the well with a knife was established.

As far as water supply and drainage engineering is concerned, China built underground drainage pipes with clay pipes more than 2,000 years ago. Ancient Rome began to build underground drainage pipes around the 6th century BC. China began to purify water with alum before the Ming Dynasty. Britain began to purify tap water by sand filtration at the beginning of 19 century. /kloc-disinfected with bleaching powder at the end of 0/9. In terms of sewage treatment, Britain began to establish sewage treatment plants in the middle of 19 century; At the beginning of the 20th century, activated sludge process was used for sewage treatment. Since then, sanitary engineering and water supply and drainage engineering have gradually developed into a technical discipline.