Water Resources Management
A full time staff of hydrogeologists, hydrologists, geologists and engineers possess the experience and capabilities to fully meet our clients’ water resource needs. Staff members have specialized in water resources for the past 30 years, developing a broad expertise by conducting hydrogeologic investigations, water quality evaluations, and resource management studies.
EnviroForensics/Arcient engineers provide a comprehensive array of groundwater and surface water services; stand-alone and coordinated with other project needs. Success and diverse capabilities have been built on local projects combined with national experience.
Primary Service Areas
- Water Quality Assessment
- Groundwater Supply
- Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport Modeling
- Groundwater Restoration and Protection
- Seepage and Inflow Analysis / Groundwater Control
- Stream Quality Routing Models
- Reservoir Quality Models
Water Quality Assessment
Engineers assess water quality for groundwater supply and in response to chemical releases to the environment. Experts investigate the extent of contamination in the subsurface and evaluate the potential impact on existing drinking water supplies. Further assessment of groundwater quality is undertaken through the development and implementation of extensive groundwater sampling and analysis programs, and the acquisition and interpretation of available water quality data. Groundwater sampling and analysis programs utilize the most technically advanced, cost-effective, and appropriate drilling and sampling techniques. EnviroForensics/Arcient has extensive experience in the preparation of well design and construction specifications.
Groundwater Supply
Hydrogeologists and engineers are also experienced in evaluating and developing groundwater resources for irrigation, potable use and industrial supplies. By evaluating potential groundwater resources through the analysis and interpretation of geological strata, borehole geophysical logs and aquifer tests, staff members have performed well inventories; interpretation of existing hydrogeological data; implemented groundwater investigations; characterized physical and chemical characteristics of aquifers; prepared hydrogeological investigation reports; developed, performed and interpreted aquifer tests; worked with regulatory agencies; developed well construction specifications; and designed well fields. Hydrogeologists and engineers are also experienced in well capacity restoration and rehabilitation and analysis of local and regional aquifer characteristics.
Groundwater Modeling
Hydrogeologists are experienced with a variety of computer modeling software to simulate groundwater flow and the fate and transport of contaminants that may affect drinking water supplies or groundwater resources. The staff has developed and applied these models for projects in broad hydrogeological conditions such as unconsolidated aquifers and fractured bedrock conditions. Staff members have used these models to evaluate impacts to groundwater resources due to the installation of new production wells, in addition to analyzing the migration of contaminants to determine if and/or when they may affect groundwater supplies.
Groundwater Restoration and Protection
Hydrogeologists and engineers have assessed the extent of contamination as the basis for remedial engineering design, and have developed and implemented monitoring programs to evaluate the effectiveness of remedial efforts. Staff members have prepared sampling and analysis plans, designed groundwater monitoring networks, provided field sampling services for characterization of hazardous materials releases, executed public participation programs to obtain community input into the remedy selection process, successfully negotiated the cleanup objectives with regulatory agencies, and completed regulatory agency reporting requirements.
EnviroForensics/Arcient staff has provided removal oversight of hazardous wastes and materials from permitted and uncontrolled sites, in efforts to protect groundwater resources. They have also provided design support and construction oversight for containment systems to protect groundwater from further impacts and to control the migration of existing groundwater contamination. Staff members have operated and maintained groundwater remediation systems such as air stripping, carbon adsorption, vapor extraction systems, ultra-violet and chemical oxidation. Having worked with a variety of regulatory agencies, hydrogeologists and engineers have conducted feasibility studies to develop, screen, and evaluate groundwater remediation alternatives to identify preferred remedial alternatives.
Seepage and Inflow Analysis/Groundwater Control (Interception Systems)
Hydrogeologists on staff are experienced in seepage and inflow analyses for surface conveyance systems, proposed excavations, and surface mines. Evaluations include installation of wells to establish groundwater occurrence, flow directions, and soil stratigraphy; performance of pump tests to estimate soil and aquifer permeability; and evaluation of potentiometric elevation data to assess groundwater gradients. EnviroForensics/Arcient staff members have used these evaluations to quantify seepage rates and quantities, to estimate pumping costs under future conditions, to appropriately size pumping equipment, and to determine the impact of proposed construction activities on local and regional groundwater levels and river inflows. Experienced hydrogeologists have also evaluated existing hydraulic conductivity data, surface water flow rates, rainfall data, water levels, and land use maps to develop groundwater flow models including simulated effects under various pumping and construction scenarios.
Stream Quality Routing Models
Regulators set stream standards to avoid the aquatic stresses from point source loadings during low stream flow periods. Steady state stream quality routing models like QUAL2E have been designed to predict stream quality and allocate waste loads during such periods. While these models can be calibrated and run at high flows, they are typically inadequate for qualifying wet weather loads from municipal sources.Dynamic water quality models such as WASP are necessary for routing wet weather loadings downstream. EnviroForensics/Arcient hydrologists are capable of modeling river water and estuary water quality under different hydrologic conditions.
Reservoir Quality Models
Lake and reservoir models also range greatly in complexity and resource requirements. Reservoir simulation models require significant data and manpower for proper development, calibration, verification and application. Typically, reservoir and lakes are simulated in one or two dimensions with material and energy transport estimated between stratified layers. In estuaries, 3-dimensional models may be necessary, particularly if dispersion of a discharge plume needs to be predicted. Staff members have applied this modeling in predicting lake quality under imposed conditions and improvements.