Fully online technical training designed around real industry demand, so you can specialize at your own pace.
11/07/2026
Start Date
8 months
Duration
750
Total Hours
8 Modules
Program
Duration
Total Hours
Program
Start Date
$3835
ICTESS’s Water Supply and Sanitation Network Design Specialization is designed to train specialists in the calculation, sizing, and design of plumbing installations for buildings. The program covers water supply networks and sanitary drainage systems comprehensively, from initial layout through full project documentation for permitting.
You’ll learn the hydraulic calculations used in real-world projects: determining simultaneous demand flows, calculating head losses in piping and fittings, sizing stacks and venting systems per code, selecting pressure booster systems and pumping equipment, and performing pressure and leak testing. The specialization includes a Capstone Project where you’ll apply everything you’ve learned to a complete plumbing and drainage design project.
The Water Supply and Sanitation Network Design Specialization meets the construction industry’s need for professionals who design efficient, code-compliant plumbing installations. U.S. codes like the International Plumbing Code (IPC) require precise flow, pressure, and sizing calculations to ensure water supply and drainage networks perform correctly in every building type.
This specialization trains professionals to design complete water supply and sanitation networks, from service connection to points of use and discharge. You’ll calculate simultaneous demand flows using fixture unit methods, size piping per allowable velocities and head losses, design drainage systems with calculated stacks and venting, and select pumps based on a building’s pressure requirements.
The program includes hands-on training with professional technical software used in engineering and design firms (EPANET, Autodesk Revit MEP, AutoCAD) and concludes with a Capstone Project in which you’ll develop a complete design applying every competency gained throughout the technical modules.
The Water Supply and Sanitation Network Design Specialization qualifies you for specialized technical roles at design firms, MEP engineering firms, construction companies, and water utility technical departments. You’ll be prepared to work as a plumbing design engineer, technical plumbing lead, water efficiency consultant, or permitting and code compliance specialist.
The program prepares you to manage complete projects from design through commissioning: developing optimized layout schemes, calculating flows and pressures per applicable code, preparing technical reports and installation drawings, sizing drainage networks with their corresponding venting systems, and overseeing pressure testing and system startup.
You’ll also gain skills to audit existing installations, detect leaks using non-destructive techniques, propose water efficiency improvements, and prepare documentation for permitting with the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). The program’s hands-on approach lets you apply your knowledge immediately to real-world building projects.
Study from anywhere, with no commuting required. Balance your technical specialization with your current professional career.
Organize your study schedule around your own availability. Move through the modules at the pace that works for you and revisit topics whenever you need to.
Learn EPANET, Autodesk Revit MEP, and AutoCAD, the same calculation and design tools used by engineering and design firms.
Technical video lessons, up-to-date downloadable materials, forums with specialized instructors, and hands-on exercises.
With ICTESS, you’ll receive specialized technical training focused on professional practice and built to help you master the competencies the plumbing and drainage design field demands. Every program is developed by industry experts and delivers a modern, practical, and flexible learning experience aligned with current market requirements. We’re committed to academic excellence, advanced educational technology, and consistent support that drives your professional growth.
What you'll achieve
Design layout schemes for water supply and sanitary drainage networks, applying hydraulic optimization criteria and compliance with applicable U.S. plumbing codes such as the International Plumbing Code (IPC).
Calculate simultaneous demand flows, service pressures, and head losses in water supply installations, sizing pipes and fittings according to allowable velocities.
Size drainage networks including stacks, building drains, primary and secondary venting, and individual and floor drain traps in accordance with current plumbing code requirements.
Select and size pressure booster systems and pumping equipment, applying technical and economic criteria along with NPSH calculations and pump performance curves.
Perform pressure and leak testing, execute leak detection procedures, and prepare complete technical documentation for code compliance and permitting with the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).
The building industry in the United States maintains steady activity that requires professionals specialized in plumbing installations. Plumbing codes such as the International Plumbing Code (IPC) require every water supply and drainage installation to meet specific technical requirements, which demands professionals capable of producing precise calculations and rigorous technical documentation for permitting.
Shortage of hydraulic calculation specialists: The job market shows a shortage of professionals equally skilled in designing water supply networks and drainage systems. Many technicians understand installation work but lack specific training in calculation and sizing, which limits their ability to stamp projects and take on higher-level technical responsibilities.
Increasingly demanding code requirements: Updates to plumbing and building codes, along with local water efficiency ordinances, set stricter requirements for water conservation, greywater reuse, and system sizing. Professionals who master current codes and up-to-date calculation methods hold a clear competitive advantage over those with outdated training.
Competitive advantage in the job market: Specialized training in hydraulic network design sets you apart significantly from generalist profiles. Mastering flow and pressure calculations, industry-specific software, and permitting documentation positions you as a priority candidate at design firms and MEP engineering firms.
Completing the Water Supply and Sanitation Network Design Specialization positions you in a field with steady demand for qualified professionals. Every building requires properly calculated, code-compliant plumbing installations, which creates stable career opportunities at design firms, MEP engineering firms, and construction companies.
Access to specialized technical roles: You’ll qualify for roles like plumbing design engineer, technical plumbing lead, water efficiency consultant, or permitting specialist, usually with stronger pay than non-specialized professionals. Designing both water supply and drainage systems broadens your career opportunities.
Capacity to develop complete projects: You’ll build the skills to manage every phase of a plumbing project, from initial design through final permitting.
Recognized professional certificate: ICTESS’s professional certificate validates your technical specialization in water supply and sanitation network design, strengthening your position in the job market and confirming your competencies to employers in the building industry.
This specialization is designed for professionals and technicians seeking to specialize in the design, calculation, and engineering of plumbing installations in buildings. Recommended candidates include:
Program details
The Capstone Project is the culminating stage of the program and represents the practical integration of every technical competency developed throughout the specialization. It consists of developing a complete, real-world plumbing project, from building analysis and needs assessment through permitting documentation, applying the professional methodologies and calculation tools used in the industry.
The project covers the comprehensive design of a building’s water supply and sanitation networks. You’ll develop an optimized layout, calculate simultaneous demand flows using fixture unit methods, size supply piping with velocity and head loss verification, design the drainage network with properly calculated stacks, building drains, and venting, and select the appropriate pressure booster system, justifying your technical and economic criteria.
The project also includes preparing one-line diagrams, floor plans showing installation layout, a calculation report with full technical justification, and documentation for permitting with the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). The final documentation must meet the technical rigor and professional format expected of plumbing installation projects, demonstrating your ability to produce complete, rigorous technical documentation suitable for submission to code officials, industry stakeholders, or clients in the building sector.
ICTESS’s Water Supply and Sanitation Network Design Specialization includes hands-on training with industry-standard technical tools: EPANET for hydraulic simulation of water distribution networks with pressure and flow analysis, Autodesk Revit MEP for automated sizing aligned with applicable plumbing codes and technical documentation generation, and AutoCAD for producing installation drawings. You’ll learn to use these platforms through real building case studies, mastering everything from entering baseline data to generating calculation reports and construction drawings. Certified proficiency with these programs is highly valued in hiring processes at design and engineering firms, since they’re the tools used to develop plumbing projects and permitting documentation.
An engineering degree isn’t required, but technical training in construction, plumbing, or fluid mechanics is recommended. The specialization is designed for mechanical, civil, and building engineers, but it’s also accessible to construction managers, experienced plumbing installers with demonstrable professional experience, and technicians with backgrounds in building or civil works projects. Professionals with hands-on experience in the plumbing industry who want to gain calculation and design skills can also enroll if they have prior knowledge of reading drawings, basic fluid mechanics, and computer proficiency. The program includes technical content with hydraulic calculations, so it’s important to be comfortable working with mathematical formulas and interpreting technical schematics.
ICTESS’s Professional Certificate validates your technical specialization in water supply and sanitation network design and is recognized by industry employers as high-level supplementary training. While it isn’t an official academic degree, the certificate documents specific, in-demand technical competencies: calculating flows and pressures per applicable plumbing codes, sizing drainage networks, using industry-standard software, and preparing technical documentation for permitting. Design firms, MEP engineering firms, and construction companies especially value this practical technical training as a complement to a base degree, since it demonstrates familiarity with current codes, proficiency with real industry tools, and hands-on project experience gained throughout the specialization.
The Water Supply and Sanitation Network Design Specialization stands apart through its focus on technical calculation and design, not installation work. While many plumbing courses focus on hands-on pipe and fixture installation, this program trains designers capable of engineering and sizing complete networks in accordance with applicable codes. The content includes the real hydraulic calculations engineers use on professional projects: determining simultaneous demand flows with fixture unit methods, verifying velocities and head losses, sizing stacks and venting per code, and selecting pressure booster systems with performance curve analysis. The specialization also includes hands-on training with specific professional software (EPANET, Autodesk Revit MEP), tools not typically covered in general plumbing courses and whose proficiency is essential for stamping technical projects.
