We deliver a bespoke service to our clients and pride ourselves on providing useful models that are based on solid foundations. We understand your problems, work with you to propose options that address your challenges and formulate a modelling solution that informs key decisions and fits with your legislative requirements.
Our modelling team is the largest consulting modelling team in the country, with highly trained hydrogeologists and engineers who understand computer code, geology, geographic information systems, databases, statistics and mathematics. Each member of our team brings their own specialities such as uncertainty analysis, calibration techniques and solute transport modelling.
We adapt how we design and construct your model depending on your needs and budget. We can deliver comprehensive and highly bespoke groundwater models or groundwater models that are simpler and lightweight. With the ability to make your models useful and helpful regardless of the complexity, we ensure they are designed optimally to identify impacts specific to your environment. Crucially, our models are not necessarily one-off creations. They can be effectively used in the future to help you make other decisions and evolve with projects to maintain compliance.
The key to developing a robust numerical groundwater model is a good conceptual model. This forms the foundations that describe how the groundwater system works and identifies the key components needed to replicate the natural system.
A conceptual model is based on available data and is an idealised and simplified representation of the natural system. In some cases, we use software to create three-dimensional visual models of the groundwater system to assist with communicating our findings to a range of stakeholders.
A complex model does not necessarily provide better results or predictions than a simple model. We often first develop simple analytical models to represent groundwater flow processes and assess the impacts of major projects on water resources.
Analytical models can be developed relatively quickly and inexpensively and can be used to assess groundwater issues at a high level. If risks and uncertainty are low then it may not be necessary to develop more complex numerical models.
The key to developing numerical models is to ensure they replicate key underground processes as closely as possible. Numerical models have many parameters that represent the groundwater system, and finding the optimal combination of these parameters can be a challenge.
Our team regularly develops numerical models that represent groundwater flow processes in either one, two, or three dimensions. We use two-dimensional models to assess seepage through artificial embankments, tailings dams and water impoundments. Complex groundwater systems often require sophisticated methods to analyse potential impacts, for which we develop three-dimensional models.
We’re frequently called upon to conduct peer review and gap analysis of conceptual and numerical groundwater models and reports for other consultants. Independent and impartial, we follow Australian groundwater modelling guidelines and best practice, with a keen focus on high quality and attention to detail.
As early adopters of modelling techniques, we often work in partnership with leading academics in our field, working at the frontier of technology. Combined with our collaborative team of specialist modellers, we bring this expertise to our review of peer-developed numerical groundwater models.
We have more than two decades of experience in groundwater modelling. View all our projects to see the diversity of our expertise across conceptual, analytical and numerical modelling.
View allThe Rocky Hill Coal project was a proposed open-cut coal mine located approximately 100 km north of Newcastle, New South Wales. We were engaged to complete a groundwater impact assessment as part of the project’s Environmental Impact Statement. This involved field services, conceptual and numerical modelling.
Read moreThe United Wambo Project is a proposed open-cut coal mine at the existing United Mine and Wambo Mine operations, located approximately 15 km west of Singleton, New South Wales. We were engaged to complete a groundwater impact assessment to form part of the Environmental Impact Statement, which included extensive data review, conceptual groundwater modelling and numerical modelling.
Read moreThe Watermark Coal project was a planned greenfield open-cut coal mine located approximately 25 km south-east of Gunnedah, in the Gunnedah Basin of north-west New South Wales. We were engaged to complete a groundwater study for the project’s Environmental Impact Statement, which included conceptual and numerical groundwater modelling.
Read moreOur team’s expertise is in groundwater modelling, field services, approvals and licensing, water supply, contaminant investigation, expert advisory and hydrogeochemistry. Learn more about our services by clicking the link below.