GeoEnviroPro is proud to introduce the virtual Environmental Mini-Series (“EMS”), where we offer training by seasoned professionals in key areas that are fundamental and critical to the characterization of contaminated sites. This series will focus on you – what you need to understand about a site before you go, why, and how.  We’ll cover site characterization principles using practical examples and illustrations, allowing participants to apply their knowledge immediately to their projects. The mini-series course is designed for field staff just starting out in their careers all the way to early project managers who want to plan and execute projects with more confidence and technical skill.  

We begin with a focus on groundwater, instilling key concepts and principles behind the understanding of groundwater flow, followed by sessions on data acquisition methods (e.g., monitoring well installation, slug tests) and data interpretation (e.g., stratigraphic cross sections, data contouring, and others).    

This first mini-series will be in 2 parts: Part 1 – Planning an effective groundwater investigation (May/June 2025) and Part 2 – Groundwater Interpretation and Reporting (September/October 2025). 

Part 1 – Planning an Effective Groundwater Investigation  

Session 1 – The Conceptual Site Model – Groundwater Principles (Guy Patrick) – May 13, 2025
In Session 1, please join Guy Patrick who will present key principles of groundwater flow within the context of the conceptual site model (“CSM”).  In this 60-minute session (followed by an optional Q&A session), he will first explore the concepts of hydraulic head and gradient, porosity, and hydraulic conductivity, – what each term means, and what data sets you need to collect in the field in order to sort it all out. Using example sites with simple and complex stratigraphic settings, he’ll introduce you to some simple steps that you can take to help you understand what to expect before you get to your field site, and how to anticipate and plan for conditions that aren’t what you expected.    There will be plenty of time for Q &A and participation as Guy walks through many real-world examples and provides insight into common pitfalls and constraints. 

Session 2 – Monitoring Well Installation and Sampling (Bob Reid) – May 27, 2025
Bob Reid of Active Earth will guide you through Session 2, which will cover the installation and sampling of groundwater monitoring wells in the context of environmental investigation. You will get a refresher on selecting well locations and screen depths for a variety of Sites including sites impacted by DNAPL, LNAPL, and tidally-influenced groundwater. This course is intended to leave the attendee feeling empowered to make educated decisions in the field when encountering situations and geology that they may have been previously unfamiliar with. Additionally, some key sampling techniques will be covered, which will help you to get high quality samples in difficult conditions, such as high turbidity in monitoring wells.  

Session 3 – Assessing Hydraulic Conductivity (Slug Tests) (Kathy Tixier) – June 10, 2025
In Session 3 of the groundwater series, Kathy Tixier will teach how to assess hydraulic conductivity at your Site. The session will cover how to select appropriate wells for hydraulic conductivity assessment, how to determine an appropriate assessment method, fundamentals of hydraulic conductivity testing (including slug testing), common mistakes and challenges, as well as how field staff can differentiate good data from bad data before you leave the site. This session will cover the planning, fundamentals of hydraulic conductivity testing targeted at junior to intermediate field staff and project managers to build confidence for their next groundwater project! For detailed field methods on Slug testing, join us for our field course in May.