Course on Costs and Financing in Urban Water Works
Online course of 300 hours in costs and financing of urban water works, structured in 6 modules covering infrastructure costs, works budgets, tariffs and cost recovery, funding sources and economic appraisal under the Spanish Public Sector Contracts Act and the Water Framework Directive, with an assigned technical tutor.
Course on Costs and Financing in Urban Water Works — studying from New Zealand
Civil engineering is one of New Zealand's largest engineering employers, driven by the need for earthquake-resilient infrastructure, roading, water and wastewater systems across a seismically active country. Major projects include Auckland's City Rail Link and Wellington's transport upgrades, with rail maintained largely by KiwiRail. Engineers work for consultancies, contractors and councils, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment administers the Building Act and related standards, while Waka Kotahi manages the national land transport network.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$1,080 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
What is the recognition pathway for civil and rail engineers in New Zealand?
Engineering New Zealand administers Chartered Professional Engineer registration, which is the main recognised professional standard for civil engineers. Rail is regulated through the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Transport. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by a national body, so employers or the relevant body decide how much weight to give them.
Who hires civil, rail and smart city engineers in New Zealand?
Employers include city and regional councils, central government agencies, consultancies, contractors, and rail and transport operators. Smart city roles increasingly combine infrastructure knowledge with data and digital systems. Hiring usually depends on registration, experience and project records, so a private qualification is a supporting credential rather than a guaranteed entry point.
Will I need a visa, and how do fees and employer funding work?
No student visa is needed to study from home, because all programmes are 100% online and taught in English. Each programme includes an assigned technical tutor and a final project. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Master's programmes take 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and specialist courses 300, so check the time commitment against your workload.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Estimate the investment and operating costs of urban water works.
Prepare and control works budgets.
Design tariff structures based on cost recovery criteria.
Identify public and private funding sources.
Carry out financial and social appraisals of water projects.
Prioritise investments using asset management criteria.
Draw up a financing proposal for an urban water works.
Who it's for
- Cost and budget technicians in water engineering.
- Finance managers at water utilities.
- Public funding consultants.
- EU funds specialists working with municipalities and consortia.
- Tariff analysts.
- Hydraulic infrastructure project managers.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to join water-cycle management companies.
What you'll work with
- Law 9/2017 (Spanish Public Sector Contracts Act)
- Royal Decree 1098/2001 (general regulation of the Public Administration Contracts Act)
- Directive 2000/60/EC (Water Framework Directive, Article 9 on cost recovery)
- Royal Legislative Decree 2/2004 (consolidated Local Finance Act)
- Regulation (EU) 2020/852 (taxonomy of sustainable activities)
- Regulation (EU) 2021/241 (Recovery and Resilience Facility)
- ISO 55001 (asset management)
- Royal Decree 55/2017 (implementation of the Spanish economy de-indexation law)
- Presto
- Microsoft Excel
- TCQ
- SAP
- Palisade @RISK
6 modules
1.1Types of urban water works1.2Structure of investment costs1.3Unit prices and price databases1.4Cost functions for WWTPs and DWTPs1.5Costs of networks and pipelines1.6Operation and maintenance costs1.7Life-cycle cost1.8Depreciation and asset renewal1.9Cost benchmarking1.10Case study: cost estimate for a DWTP
2.1Quantity take-offs and price schedules2.2Material execution budget2.3Overheads and contractor's profit2.4Price revision2.5Economic scheduling of the works2.6Monthly progress certificates2.7Variations and new rates2.8Cost control on site2.9Contract final accounts2.10Practical exercise: budget for a sewerage network with Presto
3.1Cost recovery principle3.2Block tariff structure3.3Charges and tariffs: legal nature3.4Regional sanitation levies3.5Social tariff and affordability3.6Cost studies for tariff setting3.7Comparison of Spanish tariffs3.8Economic regulation of water3.9Financial sustainability indicators3.10Workshop: design of a block tariff
4.1Public budgets and transfers4.2European funds: ERDF and the Recovery Facility4.3PERTE for the digitalisation of the water cycle4.4European Investment Bank loans4.5Financing of public companies4.6Public-private partnership in water4.7Service concessions4.8Green bonds and sustainable finance4.9EU Taxonomy and water4.10Lab: application to a funding call
5.1Financial analysis of projects5.2Social cost-benefit analysis5.3Valuation of environmental benefits5.4Cost-effectiveness analysis of alternatives5.5Sensitivity and risks5.6Investment prioritisation5.7Multi-year investment plans5.8Asset management with ISO 550005.9Reporting to regulators5.10Case study: prioritisation of a pipe renewal plan
6.1Description of the works6.2Budget estimate6.3Operating costs6.4Analysis of financing alternatives6.5Tariff impact of the investment6.6Financial and social analysis6.7Risks and sensitivities6.8Final financing proposal6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Presto, Microsoft Excel, TCQ, SAP and Palisade @RISK, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures: preparing works budgets, designing tariff structures and financial appraisal of investments. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final integrated project.
Standards covered: Law 9/2017, Royal Decree 1098/2001, Directive 2000/60/EC, Royal Legislative Decree 2/2004, Regulation (EU) 2020/852, Regulation (EU) 2021/241, ISO 55001, Royal Decree 55/2017.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer able to run the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Presto, Microsoft Excel, TCQ, SAP and Palisade @RISK, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required; you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and enough English to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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