The primary mission of CEWRE is to bring academic research and cutting edge understanding of environmental problems to serve the public. Participants in the CEWRE come from departments in the College of Engineering as well as elsewhere on the University of California, Davis campus. We conduct research activities that explore new concepts in dealing with the ever growing demands of the 21st century on natural resources, specifically, the problems of urban pollution from both point and non-point sources. Non-point source pollution, arising from activities and events that cannot be identified with a specific location, is considered by the US EPA to be the greatest threat to our national surface and ground water quality. Whether the problem is from urban storm runoff or percolation of contaminated agricultural drainage, we at CEWRE are working with agencies, communities, and interest groups to develop new and innovative solutions. CEWRE trains student and postdoctoral researchers and provides expertise to federal, state and local government in the areas of water and air pollution. In addition, CEWRE acts as a clearinghouse for information and research results through its report series and on-campus seminar series.

Graduate programs at UC Davis are organized by disciplinary groups to allow faculty located in different departments, but having similar research interests, to work together. Graduate groups existing in areas, such as Atmospheric Science, Ecology, Environmental Toxicology and Hydrologic Science, foster and allow joint guidance of graduate students outside the home department of the faculty members. These programs provide direct access to scientists specializing in various disciplines that impact environmental engineering. The graduate group structure helps those scientists to convert basic knowledge to real world applications using engineered systems. Environmental Engineering students benefit from courses offered in subjects as varied as Environmental Toxicology, Soil Microbiology, Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering, and Ecology that provide different perspectives and insights. Working with their guidance committees, programs of study can be tailored to meet the students' interests as well as to form a fundamental science foundation for their study of environmental engineering.

CEWRE is a home for large multi-investigator research programs related to environmental and water problems. The expertise of faculty affiliated with CEWRE spans the wide range of environmental and water resources problems. Current research programs include dynamic modeling of quality characteristics of surface waters; mixing processes in surface waters; contaminant transport in the subsurface; surface chemistry of soils with particular emphasis on organic sorption and desorption; quantitative detection of microbial pathogens in treated and recreational waters; biofilm processes in the natural and engineered environment; removal of trace contaminants in water and wastewater; bioaugmentation of wastewater treatment processes; environmental restoration; atmospheric dispersion and air pollution control systems; photochemical air quality modeling, esp. gas-to-particle conversion processes; aerosol measurement and characterization; combustion by-product formation; disinfection using ultraviolet radiation; microbial degradation of vapor phase contaminants; and analysis of economic impacts of stormwater quality management programs.