Water Resources

It is said, “There is no gift superior to the gift of water.” However, this precious gift of water is continuously challenged by increased demand, poor land use practices, emerging contaminants, climate-related effects of drought and changes to the hydrologic cycle, aging infrastructure and insufficient investment. GZA's water resource expertise and experience starts in the clouds above the watershed and flows downstream through the streams and rivers into the lakes, ponds, and reservoirs, down into the groundwater, through the wetlands, past the levees and over the dams, into the treatment and distribution systems, through the wastewater and stormwater networks; beyond the waterfront, and the back to the start of the hydrologic cycle to begin again. GZA’s water resources professionals value the gift of water and work with our clients to be good stewards of water in both the natural and built environment.

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As water can exist in multiple phases, so does GZA take a multi-disciplinary approach to working with water.

GZA has a highly qualified and technically diverse staff working across the United States that allows us to develop comprehensive and multi-disciplinary water resource solutions.

GZA’s water resource expertise and experience encompasses watershed best management practices, ecological restoration, stormwater and wastewater management, and sustainable water resources management. It also includes water supply exploration and development, storage and management. Our expertise includes planning and permitting, geology, civil engineering, ecology, hydrology and hydraulics, numerical modeling, environmental investigations, remediation, and water rights. Our multi-faceted support for the proper and beneficial management of water touches surface water in rivers, streams, wetlands, lakes, and reservoirs and groundwater within soil and bedrock.

Focus Areas

Watershed Management

Watersheds cross jurisdictional lines. Healthy watersheds also have many cross-disciplinary benefits: Robust habitat, support of wildlife, improved water quality, better water supply management, reduced hazards from floods, fires, landslides, and more. The sustainable management of watersheds involves multiple stakeholders and requires multi-disciplinary expertise. GZA engages professionals from multiple areas of technical practice to work with a wide range of stakeholders to assess and develop strategies for maintaining the quality of watersheds. GZA is working to help our clients manage new challenges presented by the demands of growth, the risks of climate change, the desire for ecological protection and restoration.

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Freshwater Lakes & Reservoirs

GZA limnologists work in concert with the natural features of a lake or reservoir ecosystem to diagnose and correct the causes of water quality problems. GZA’s work helps to improve surface water quality which can decrease treatment costs and improve aquatic habitat. GZA combines advanced science with practical engineering to develop in situ systems that can effectively and economically generate real water quality improvements.

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Stormwater Management

Stormwater includes run-off from precipitation, snow and ice melt. Management of stormwater, including collection, conveyance, and treatment is essential to mitigate flooding and maintain water quality and supply. Stormwater management challenges include inadequate and aging infrastructure, contamination of groundwater and surface water due to pollutants and nutrient loading and climate-related, increased precipitation event intensity and frequency.

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Groundwater Supply Exploration and Development

GZA possesses the full spectrum of technical capabilities required to plan and conduct groundwater supply exploration and development projects in the most complex and challenging hydrogeologic settings. GZA’s hydrogeologists are experienced and skilled at the art and science of finding and developing groundwater supplies to support growing communities.

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Groundwater Yield & Quality Enhancement and Water Resource Protection

GZA is the leader in providing innovative groundwater protection services, including groundwater yield enhancement programs, that provide water supply solutions to a diverse range of clients.

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Groundwater Management, Permitting, and Permit Compliance Monitoring

GZA has led the field in successfully permitting newly developed groundwater resources at Local and State levels throughout our footprint. We understand both the technical and regulatory requirements necessary to convert the discovery of an abundant aquifer source to an authorized water supply well with appropriate Groundwater withdrawal permits.

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Groundwater Modeling

GZA has developed and refined a unique exploration and development program to predictably identify and develop previously overlooked groundwater supplies throughout many complex hydrogeologic terrains. GZA has the ability to model groundwater at scales ranging from a single site to a regional, multi-basin system. Our hydrogeology professionals use their computer models to develop an understanding of the movement, recharge, and availability of groundwater, leading to an enhanced ability to locate and manage groundwater resources.

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Water Supply Sustainability

GZA is a leader in providing innovative water supply sustainability programs that provide water supply solutions to a diverse range of clients.

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Agronomy

GZA provides a wide range of services to farming and dairy operations across the US that present different challenges in regulations, climate, geography, hydrology, water sustainability, and public interest

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Water Rights

Water rights are a complex subject where regulations and accounting procedures vary from state to state. Many water rights have a complicated history that requires an excellent working knowledge of regulations and water rights records. GZA’s technical professionals work with clients and their lawyers to assist in determining the validity and transferability of a right.

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Hydrology

The science of hydrology involves the understanding of water throughout the entirety of the hydrologic cycle. GZA’s scientists and engineers study water in the atmosphere, in streams, lakes, and reservoirs, and under the ground. We have decades of experience in modeling the movement and behavior of water under conditions ranging from the worst droughts to the most extreme floods. Our goal is to help our clients and society at large understand and manage water to reduce risk and to create benefits for both human endeavors and the natural environment.

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Water Resources

As water can exist in multiple phases, so does GZA take a multi-disciplinary approach to working with water.