Dewatering

Dewatering Process Management

Caldera Environmental oversees and manages the entire dewatering process, ensuring efficient and effective groundwater extraction. Our services include:

  • Groundwater Well Installation: Installing groundwater wells at strategic locations to facilitate efficient dewatering. This includes both shallow and deep wells, depending on the project requirements.

  • Dewatering System Design: Designing and implementing dewatering systems using specialised equipment such as pumps, sumps, and drainage systems to control groundwater levels during construction.

  • Monitoring and Maintenance: Regularly monitoring the dewatering system to ensure it operates effectively and making necessary adjustments to maintain optimal performance.

Treatment Processes

Effective treatment of extracted groundwater is essential to prevent environmental contamination. Caldera Environmental have overseen various treatment processes, including:

  • Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) Encapsulation: Using GAC to encapsulate contaminants from groundwater.

  • Water Polishing: Employing advanced filtration techniques to remove fine particles and impurities from the water.

  • Reverse Osmosis: Implementing reverse osmosis systems to remove dissolved salts and other contaminants.

  • Sediment Treatment: Treating sediment-laden water to remove suspended solids.

  • pH Correction: Adjusting the pH of the treated water to ensure it meets discharge standards.

Sampling and Validation

Throughout the dewatering process, Caldera Environmental collects samples to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment processes. This includes:

  • Process Monitoring: Regularly collecting and analysing samples from the dewatering system to monitor treatment effectiveness and make necessary adjustments.

  • Validation Sampling: Collecting final validation samples prior to the release of treated water to ensure it meets all regulatory requirements and environmental standards.

Importance of Professional Expertise

Engaging experienced and knowledgeable environmental consultants is essential for successful dewatering management. Caldera Environmental’s team brings a wealth of expertise, ensuring that every project is handled with precision and care. Our commitment to excellence and compliance ensures that we deliver results that are not only effective but also sustainable and legally sound.

With significant dewatering industry experience, Caldera Environmental’s consultants collaborate with clients to assess and understand the proposed groundwater extraction process, timeline, regulatory requirements and risks. Our comprehensive services include pre-construction groundwater well installation, sampling and reporting, groundwater consulting, construction dewatering and providing advice on dewatering excavation processes using specialised equipment.

Initial Groundwater Assessment

Caldera Environmental begins each dewatering project with a thorough initial groundwater assessment. This involves:

  • Site Investigation: Conducting detailed site investigations to understand the hydrogeological conditions. This includes drilling boreholes, installing monitoring wells and collecting groundwater samples to analyse the aquifer properties and groundwater quality.

  • Hydrogeological Modelling: Using advanced hydrogeological modelling techniques to simulate groundwater flow and predict the impact of dewatering activities on the surrounding environment. This helps in designing effective dewatering systems and identifying potential risks.

Dewatering Management Plan (DMP)

Developing a robust Dewatering Management Plan (DMP) is crucial for the success of any dewatering project. Our DMPs include:

  • Project-Specific Strategies: Tailoring dewatering strategies to the specific needs of the project, considering factors such as soil type, groundwater levels and environmental sensitivities.

  • Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring that all dewatering activities comply with relevant regulations and guidelines, including those set by local councils and environmental authorities.

  • Risk Mitigation: Identifying potential risks associated with dewatering and implementing measures to mitigate these risks, such as monitoring groundwater levels and quality throughout the project.

Dewatering

Services Include:

  • Dewatering management plans

  • Groundwater discharge validation

  • Groundwater investigations and impact assessments

  • Groundwater monitoring well installation

  • Design of on-site treatment systems and retention ponds

  • Treatment of sediment ponds (flocculation)

  • Groundwater monitoring and modelling

  • Groundwater remediation plans

  • Geotechnical drilling