Engineering Lessons from the 1993 Milwaukee Drinking Water Contamination

The 1993 Milwaukee water contamination was not caused by a single design flaw or mechanical breakdown. It resulted from a combination of inadequate pathogen barriers, limited monitoring capability, and delayed operational response within a system that appeared compliant and functional by regulatory standards.

By |2026-02-02T09:38:00-06:00February 26th, 2026|Friday Famous Failures|0 Comments

The February Ethical Dilemma: Changes in Compensation

Was it ethical for Engineer Walter to indicate to Client that Client should pay additional compensation for the preliminary investigation services Engineer Walter originally provided when Attorney Larry was Client's attorney?

By |2026-02-23T09:56:05-06:00February 13th, 2026|Ethical Dilemma|5 Comments

Engineering Lessons from the 1992 Guadalajara Sewer Explosions

On April 22, 1992, a series of underground explosions ripped through the Reforma sector of Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city. Over the course of roughly an hour, at least ten powerful blasts traveled along the main sewer collector, tearing open more than 8 km of streets, destroying blocks of homes and businesses, and killing over 200 people.

By |2026-01-23T15:38:24-06:00January 29th, 2026|Friday Famous Failures|0 Comments

The First Professional Engineering License in the United States

The Egyptian pyramids of Giza are some of the most impressive manmade structures in the history of our planet. It’s estimated that they were built over 4,500 years ago with over two million stones over a period of 20 to 30 years ...

By |2026-01-12T15:35:10-06:00January 5th, 2026|Tuesday Tidbits|2 Comments