Mining Engineering
DBS&A’s engineers support mining companies from initial permitting and design through the development of cost-effective remedies at closure. Read more.
Remedial Design
To achieve cost-effective site cleanup and final closure, DBS&A offers innovative, technically sound, and cost-conscious remediation system design, installation, operation and maintenance, and removal actions. We have successfully addressed soil and groundwater impacted by petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents, metals, and mine wastes by designing and implementing more than 100 soil and groundwater remediation systems. DBS&A conducts feasibility studies to identify the most cost-effective remedial technologies suitable for subsurface contamination. From simple excavations to complete multi-media extraction and treatment at Superfund sites, we have developed plans and specifications for a wide range of remediation systems with approval from state regulatory agencies and the EPA. Read more.
Examples of systems installed by DBS&A include:
- Biovent/biosparge and bioaugmentation
- Soil vapor extraction (SVE), both vertical and directionally drilled horizontal installations
- Groundwater sparging and extraction systems
- Interceptor/cutoff trenches
- Pneumatic phase-separated hydrocarbon pumping systems
- Groundwater treatment by packed column air strippers, low-profile diffusers, bioslurry, and granular activated carbon (GAC)
Vapor treatment by thermal and catalytic oxidizers, internal combustion engine, and GAC.
Solid Waste Engineering
DBS&A provides regulatory, scientific, and engineering solutions to challenges facing landfill operators and hazardous waste managers at municipal and hazardous solid waste landfills, land disposal units, and waste isolation facilities.
Our experience includes siting, state and federal permitting, design, construction oversight, quality assurance, and monitoring for facility expansions, permit modifications, and closures.
For arid regions in particular, DBS&A is well known for our design of alternative covers (also known as evapotranspiration covers, store-and-release covers, or phytocaps systems). Read more.
Stormwater Engineering
DBS&A is especially qualified to assess the capacity, functionality, and quality of stormwater systems and develop creative solutions to solve nuisance water problems caused by flooding and/or improper and/or insufficient infrastructure. By assessing the hydrologic and subsurface conditions, our engineers identify and develop cost-effective solutions to drainage issues for public entities, private water systems, landfills, and mines. We can provide sustainable solutions for water volume management, peak flow reduction, and water quality improvement by developing innovative solutions to infrastructure deficiencies through retrofitting of existing structures, creative thinking, and employing sustainability techniques.
Our services include permitting, permit compliance, design, and construction oversight. We have extensive experience supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit compliance, including Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) requirements and Construction General Permit. Our engineers take care to meet all federal, state, and local stormwater design requirements, including flood control hydraulic analysis and point source discharge compliance requirements. We review and analyze sampling data to establish the significance of illicit and stormwater discharge constituents. Our services include water sampling, infrastructure monitoring, and preparation and implementation of Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs). Where appropriate, DBS&A can assist clients in meeting stormwater discharge requirements by performing low-impact development (LID) studies and designs in order to infiltrate, evaporate/transpire, and reuse runoff on site.
Water, Wastewater, and Reuse Systems
Effective water and wastewater systems are based on properly designed and constructed infrastructure. DBS&A combines our practical scientific knowledge with standard engineering principles to provide conceptual planning to full-scale design and construction services.
Our utility engineering services include:
- Supply wells and wellfield design
- Water reuse and reclamation
- Drinking water treatment
- Water storage, transmission, and distribution
- Wastewater treatment
- Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) and managed aquifer recharge (MAR)
- Brackish groundwater development and desalination engineering
- Injection well design
- Operator training
DBS&A has helped clients to evaluate water transmission and distribution systems, water storage, and pumping; and wastewater collection piping, pumping, and treatment. We develop detailed plans for water treatment system testing and rehabilitation including multiple chemical treatments, mechanical development, and maintenance. We also assist clients with pre-treatment and post-treatment step-drawdown tests for supply wells to quantify rehabilitation effectiveness and provide a benchmark for future performance testing. Our project experience includes all aspects of water and wastewater engineering, including preliminary engineering reports (PERs), master plans, design, and construction support.
Past workshops that DBS&A’s professionals have presented for the New Mexico Environment Department Drinking Water Bureau include:
- Distribution System Maintenance Training
- Understanding and Implementing the Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR)
- Water System Sampler Certification Training
- Emergency Response and Operations and Maintenance Plans
Funding Assistance for Engineering Projects
DBS&A can help public agencies procure funding needed for their projects. Funding programs typically require project documentation, in addition to financial and operational reporting. Our engineers and scientists can assist by providing planning documents, such as preliminary engineering reports, environmental documentation, estimates of probable construction cost, project descriptions, drawdown forecasts, and maps, reports and figures. We also have dedicated funding specialists who can research available funding pathways and walk clients through the application process. Learn more here.