Services
Please visit the Projects page for examples of our work in each of the following areas.
Stream Gaging
Watershed West installs and maintains surface water gages, and manages the data collected at these installations including streamflow, rainfall, temperature and turbidity. We are familiar with various data logger platforms, the use of photovoltaic systems to operate data loggers in remote locations, troubleshooting equipment problems, and conducting physical measurements at various flow levels to develop and maintain rating curves for each installation. On the data management end, we have developed mathematical solutions to estimate missing data, and routinely produce timely, user-friendly reports and hydrographs summarizing flow history at each gage. Click on the link below to view data collected with funding from the City of Santa Fe Water Division.
Provisional 2008 Santa Fe River Hydrographs
Stormwater
Design and PermittingFor decades, stormwater management was about grading and drainage to minimize the nuisance caused by the sudden arrival of a pulse of runoff caused by snowmelt or a summer thunderstorm. Watershed West views any water in our arid landscape as a resource. To the degree permitted by regulatory authorities (New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and Environment Department; EPA; municipalities), we aim to collect and reuse stormwater for everything from toilet flushing to landscaping. We have prepared Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) and conducted the inspections required under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulations, to keep our clients in compliance with their SWPPP.
Onsite Wastewater Management
"Onsite Wastewater Management" refers to a suite of methods to handle septage where it is generated rather than piping it to a centralized wastewater treatment plant. In the spirit of using every drop of water wisely, Watershed West recommends the use of onsite wastewater management whenever appropriate. We have overseen installation of active bacterial generator (ABG) equipment in retrofitted or purpose-built septic tanks and designed subsurface distribution systems for the treated wastewater to be used in landscape irrigation. We have prepared Discharge Permit applications for such systems under New Mexico Environment Department and Bernalillo County Environmental Health regulations, and have conducted quarterly monitoring to ensure that the systems met environmental standards. In 2005-06 we participated in a study funded by a New Mexico Governor's Water Innovation grant to compare treatment and reuse using full aerobic and bacterial treatment of wastewater, aerobic treatment only, and no treatment. The results of the study convinced us that onsite wastewater systems with full aerobic and bacterial treatment can be highly effective at reducing landscaping water requirements while reducing groundwater contamination.
Water Supply and Water Rights
Watershed West has been involved in selecting well locations, drilling oversight, well and water testing, and reporting to clients on water treatment and supply alternatives. We have designed and overseen installation of an infiltration gallery for a small community water supply, evaluated community water systems for compliance with state and federal Drinking Water regulations, and provided engineering and chemical treatment recommendations to clients who did not meet those standards. We take pride in our application of rainwater capture and reuse for landscape irrigation, which reduces demand for "raw water."
We often find that our work involves counseling clients on water rights implications of their water supply decisions. We have abstracted water rights files and advised clients on balancing the use of water rights in their portfolio. We have filed water rights applications and transfer paperwork on behalf of our clients, including return flow credit applications and transfer of surface water rights from irrigation to community water supply.
Stream Gaging
Watershed West installs and maintains surface water gages, and manages the data collected at these installations including streamflow, rainfall, temperature and turbidity. We are familiar with various data logger platforms, the use of photovoltaic systems to operate data loggers in remote locations, troubleshooting equipment problems, and conducting physical measurements at various flow levels to develop and maintain rating curves for each installation. On the data management end, we have developed mathematical solutions to estimate missing data, and routinely produce timely, user-friendly reports and hydrographs summarizing flow history at each gage. Click on the link below to view data collected with funding from the City of Santa Fe Water Division.
Provisional 2008 Santa Fe River Hydrographs
Stormwater
Design and PermittingFor decades, stormwater management was about grading and drainage to minimize the nuisance caused by the sudden arrival of a pulse of runoff caused by snowmelt or a summer thunderstorm. Watershed West views any water in our arid landscape as a resource. To the degree permitted by regulatory authorities (New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and Environment Department; EPA; municipalities), we aim to collect and reuse stormwater for everything from toilet flushing to landscaping. We have prepared Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) and conducted the inspections required under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulations, to keep our clients in compliance with their SWPPP.
Onsite Wastewater Management
"Onsite Wastewater Management" refers to a suite of methods to handle septage where it is generated rather than piping it to a centralized wastewater treatment plant. In the spirit of using every drop of water wisely, Watershed West recommends the use of onsite wastewater management whenever appropriate. We have overseen installation of active bacterial generator (ABG) equipment in retrofitted or purpose-built septic tanks and designed subsurface distribution systems for the treated wastewater to be used in landscape irrigation. We have prepared Discharge Permit applications for such systems under New Mexico Environment Department and Bernalillo County Environmental Health regulations, and have conducted quarterly monitoring to ensure that the systems met environmental standards. In 2005-06 we participated in a study funded by a New Mexico Governor's Water Innovation grant to compare treatment and reuse using full aerobic and bacterial treatment of wastewater, aerobic treatment only, and no treatment. The results of the study convinced us that onsite wastewater systems with full aerobic and bacterial treatment can be highly effective at reducing landscaping water requirements while reducing groundwater contamination.
Water Supply and Water Rights
Watershed West has been involved in selecting well locations, drilling oversight, well and water testing, and reporting to clients on water treatment and supply alternatives. We have designed and overseen installation of an infiltration gallery for a small community water supply, evaluated community water systems for compliance with state and federal Drinking Water regulations, and provided engineering and chemical treatment recommendations to clients who did not meet those standards. We take pride in our application of rainwater capture and reuse for landscape irrigation, which reduces demand for "raw water."
We often find that our work involves counseling clients on water rights implications of their water supply decisions. We have abstracted water rights files and advised clients on balancing the use of water rights in their portfolio. We have filed water rights applications and transfer paperwork on behalf of our clients, including return flow credit applications and transfer of surface water rights from irrigation to community water supply.
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