Sustainable Solutions for Today’s Water Challenges
Public water and wastewater utilities face numerous challenges in meeting customer demands with increasing limits on available water supplies and expanding restrictions on surface water quality. Apex Companies has provided hydrogeologic consulting services for dozens of water and wastewater utilities over the past 30 years.
Our staff have been involved in planning, design, and permitting on award winning Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) facilities, the development of highly progressive integrated water management programs, and in the evaluation and development of water supply wells, aquifer storage and recovery wells, and deep injection wells.
Integrated Water Supply Planning/Management
Water resource challenges are becoming increasingly complex, and the most effective solutions will often involve multiple water sources and a diversity of supply and management strategies with custom solutions that are unique to a given location.
Apex has significant experience in providing integrated water resource evaluations and sustainability planning to manage finite resources. We consider the integration of stormwater, surface water, groundwater, and reclaimed water sources a critical part to developing effective and sustainable short- and long-term water supply plans.
A properly integrated planning effort will consider all potential water sources and management options in seeking the most effective combination of alternatives. A key to a successful water management program often involves coordination between public and private interests and a myriad of related stakeholders in the balanced consideration of resource availability, public acceptance, environmental impacts, system reliability, resulting water quality, long term sustainability, and cost.
The professionals at Apex have provided primary technical analyses and facilitation of integrated water resource planning efforts for various public and private clients. Resulting plans have included:
- Brackish groundwater source development
- Groundwater storage of seasonally available raw surface and ground water
- Potable and wastewater treatment
- Stormwater harvesting
- Wetland hydration
- Groundwater salinity barrier development
- Reservoir development
- Tactical reclaimed water system expansions to industry and aquifer or environmental management efforts
- Reclaimed water supplements
- Many other source and management alternatives
Watershed Management
Watershed management requires a multi-disciplinary approach to achieve effective and often competing water management objectives. Surface and groundwater hydrology are tightly coupled, requiring an integrated approach for accurate and appropriate analysis and design. Groundwater is commonly used for public and agricultural water supplies, which can impact wetlands within the watershed. Drainage of urban and agricultural lands can result in degraded ecosystems and elevated levels of flooding. Apex considers all components of the water balance when conducting watershed management studies.
Apex has significant experience in conducting watershed studies in a wide variety of landscapes, including heavily farmed areas. Apex staff have developed Comprehensive Watershed Management Plans (CWMP) and have been actively involved in assisting in the hydrologic design of recommended watershed management improvement measures.
