Welcome to Ground Water Science!

Solutions and Expertise for Ground Water, Wells, and Water Supply

Ground Water Science is a professional consulting firm that is focused on the science and technique of ground water and how to keep it flowing. We have been step drawdown testproviding scientific and training services in hydrogeology, well & drain technology, maintenance, and rehabilitation since 1986 (initially as S.A. Smith Consulting Services). Our command of rock and glacial hydrogeology is second to none regionally. And our expertise in ground water system biofouling, maintenance, and rehabilitation is recognized and in-demand across North America and beyond, including some very large ground water projects. (Learn more about some of our representative clientsand projects - the ones we can discuss - here.)

Our partners, Stuart A. Smith and Allen E. Comeskey, are certified and licensed geologists and ground water professionals with advanced degrees and over 30 years each of diverse, high-quality, hands-on professional experience. We offer an integrated understanding of hydrogeologic, biogeochemical, and well performance issues. And we have contributed to several landmark publications pertaining to drilling, well construction, biofouling analysis, and well rehabilitation.

Ground Water Science is a small firm by design. Our managing principals work directly (not filtered through field staff) with each of our clients, large or small. Our veterans are not kept in captivity, nor put out to pasture by the new wave HR hobbling our corporate colleagues, but are free to escape the office and take our expertise to the job site, regionally or worldwide, working hands-on with our colleagues in well construction, service, engineering, and water operations.geologist and clients at a well site

Our work integrates a wide range of relevant disciplines to most effectively support our customers and their communities. We strive to consistently deliver superior customer service by insisting that things are done the right way, by serving as advocates for our clients, and by valuing and maintaining our integrity in everything that we do. We work throughout North America and beyond, so if you think that we can help you, then please contact us.

More than being merely a sales tool, this site also includes technical resources and links to many more. And we provide training and a growing list of publications to improve your understanding of ground water and wells - which will make you a better client and well operator. So take a look around, and let's keep that water moving!

Consulting Services

For more than 25 years, Ground Water Science has been the region’s trusted, flexible and innovative provider of hydrogeologic and ground water system solutions. At water industry meetings, if someone else speaks on a ground water topic, they turn to us to see what we think. Combining advanced academic credentials with real-world experience, we solve complex challenges faced by corporations, public agencies, municipalities, and others. Through our hands-on management and strict adherence to the highest standards of integrity, we integrate people, science, tools, and processes to most effectively support our clients to achieve their goals in the delivery of safe and reliable water supplies.

Unique among ground water service firms, Ground Water Science offers forensic analysis and troubleshooting for microbiological well contamination, and the whole range of problems within ground water and drain systems (including biofouling and biocorrosion). We have the capacity to analyze and interpret microbiological, chemical, corrosion, and mineralogical parameters using a variety of methods. The big multi-state multi-discipline firms hire us to do that for them. We can conduct many analyses in the field - even in remote and difficult locations.

Because Ground Water Science is a small firm, our clients work directly with the managing principals, each of whom bring 30+ years experience in a broad range of hydrogeologic settings and project conditions and have extensive knowledge of aquifer-scale hydrogeology, well hydraulics, well and wellfield design, equipment, ground water quality, and hydrogeochemistry. We are certified (CGWP and CPG) and licensed where they care about geologic professionalism (PA, IN, KY, reciprocating ASBOG states, and federal projects). And our team includes a leading ground water microbiologist with practical local, national, and international experience in problems of well and ground water system performance and ground-water quality decline.

We have the gear and software to do the job, but more importantly, our skill and experience in using these assets allow us to perform vital services that lead to critical solutions for our clients. These services include:

• Aquifer testing and analysis.
• Siting new production wells and site characterization.
• Supervising well construction (test, production, and observation wells).
• New public water supply well support.
• High-quality well and pump performance testing (1 to 4000 gpm).
• On-site testing of basic chemical-physical parameters and of biofouling and biocorrosion indicators. (We also provide additional on-site analyses and sampling for off-site analysis as needed.)
• Hydrologic modeling (both semi-analytical and numerical) including complex fracture-flow, quasi-porous media fracture flow, layered unconsolidated, and glacial-alluvial in bedrock settings.
• Analysis and graphical display of results from pumping tests (and others) in various hydrogeologic settings, including step tests, constant-rate tests, and slug tests for single and multiple wells, and biological and chemical data.
• GIS profiling and three-dimensional log and profiling with the capacity to import, manipulate, manage, and display a wide range of information in a spatial context, including accurate projection of hydrologic and geologic features on surficial feature maps and photographs, and development of cross-sections, head maps, and fence diagrams.
• Analysis of biofouling microbiological parameters by microscopy and culturing and biochemical methods.
• Providing chemical (including significant on-site), corrosion, and mineralogical analysis, and detailed predictions and analyses.

Analytical Services for Clogging and Corrosion

Analytical Services for Clogging and CorrosionIn partnership with a highly reputable licensed regional laboratory, we offer investigative and diagnostic analyses for biofouling, clogging, and corrosion troubleshooting to clients throughout North America (including Mexico and the Caribbean). These are in-depth quality analyses, offered with interpretation, to help get your system on the path to recovery. While not just any laboratory will conduct these analyses specific to clogging and corrosion, and few are willing or able to explain the results, we provide comprehensive laboratory analysis and thorough interpretation with a level of service and expertise that can only be provided by Ground Water Science.

Our laboratory and analytical services include:

Complete Well Profile (one casing sample plus one aquifer sample)
These are analyses of water samples to determine clogging and corrosion activity and potential. In this analysis, two water samples are taken, one soon after turning on the well pump after a period of rest, and a second after casing water is evacuated. We advise on how to determine when these should be taken.

“Casing flush sample” analysis includes: pH, alkalinity, TDS, conductivity, iron, manganese, calcium, Saturation Index, heterotrophic, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), iron-precipitating bacteria (IPB) and microscopic evaluation.

“Aquifer” analysis includes: pH, alkalinity, bicarbonate, carbonates, chloride, total dissolved solids, conductivity, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese, phosphate, nitrate, silica, sulfate, tannin, potassium, sodium, chlorine, Saturation Index, heterotrophic bacteria, SRB, IPB, and microscopic evaluation.

Biofouling, Biocorrosion, and Sanitary Assessment
This is a microbiological assessment designed to compliment chemical data derived from other tests. It includes heterotrophic plate count, coliform (presence/absence), anaerobic and aerobic heterotrophic assessment, SRB, IPB, and microscopic evaluation.

Microscopy (light transmitting)
For water (such as first flush water) that is turbid (cloudy), or economical solids assessment, we recommend light microscopy to identify microbial structures, minerals, etc. of interest in well and water system maintenance assessment.

Scale or Deposit Analysis

For solids such as those clogging pipes or clinging to pumps, tanks or other surfaces. Includes sample preparation. Originally designed for cooling water systems, adapted for well-water clogging.

Includes quantitative analysis of: Color, loss on ignition (indicator of organic carbon), ash, magnetic (qualitative), carbonate, silica, phosphorus, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, sulfide, sodium, potassium, SRB, IPB, and microscopic evaluation.

Filter Analysis

Extracting and quantitatively analyzing chemical and microbial deposits from sand filter, filter pack, and other solid matrix analysis. We can collect the sample, too.

Quick microscopy + colorimetric chemistry
For an economical “quick glance” at what is deposited in a filter matrix, we recommend light microscopy to identify microbial structures, minerals, etc. of interest, with determination of Fe, Mn, carbonate, and sulfide.

Oil and Gas Lease Testing

We conduct sampling for landowners planning or in the process of leasing land to oil and gas (Marcellus and Utica as well as conventional) developers. We do sampling for parameter sets recommended by area agencies but also add our hydrologic and geologic interpretation. We have Ohio EPA Qualified Data Collector status.

Based on project need, we can also arrange specialty analyses and additional services including:

Microbial ecology testing using BART and related methods

Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA or FAME) analysis – a particularly information-rich way to analyze filter and aquifer solids for microbial community composition (such as after a spill, during ground water clean up, or for biofouling assessment)
Bacteriological identification (cultural or DNA)
Microparticulate analysis (EPA methodology)
Activated sludge microscopy
X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy.
We also conduct:

Sampling, including installation of biofouling/biocorrosion collecting apparatus.
Specialized and remote sampling and analysis programs.
Do you need more help than just laboratory testing and analysis? Our consulting services often include laboratory analyses priced at cost. This provides you with the benefit of our interpretive capability and extensive experience in recommending solutions.

Are you overseas or working in a remote location? We can correspond, come to you, and work out a practical plan for the testing you need. It can be done under “bush” conditions using simple yet robust methods.