Brent Dayharsh “cleans up” the competition at the 2019 NGWA conference

Senior Technical Director Brent Dayharsh of Mundell and Associates attended this year’s Groundwater Foundation National Conference earlier this month in Las Vegas, Nevada. The conference showcased real-world solutions to groundwater remediation and management and included presentations, panels, posters, interactive activities, exhibitions and special symposiums.

During the conference Brent had a chance to showcase Mundell’s technical knowledge during the “You Don’t Know Jack – Groundwater Edition” trivia game which included topics of hydrology, water quality, and instrumentation. Despite not being present until the 2^nd half of the game, he cleaned up the competition and won second place – with some pretty advanced questions!

One interesting presentation Brent attended was an in-depth look at “Using Animal Co-Products as Novel Electron Donors for In-Situ Bioremediation.”  Animal co-products contain a mix of protein and lipids which have proven to stimulate a more rapid and complete dechlorination than traditional products containing only lipids (i.e. emulsified oil substrates) that are used for in-situ bioremediation. Mundell plans to investigate this technology for chlorinated solvent plumes, as in addition to the faster and more complete dechlorination, the products are economical and contribute to repurposing products that are typically “leftovers” which are discarded.

On Tuesday, Brent attended the Groundwater Foundation Symposium, which focused on groundwater education and protection in your community. Mundell and Associates is active in Indianapolis in this area with the Marion County Wellfield Education Corporation (MCWEC). Jason Doerflein from Indiana’s Marion County Public Health Department spoke about MCWEC’s activities at the conference. Other associations discussed interesting strategies for municipal water protection and use as well. In Southern Nevada, the region is using 40% less water than 20 years ago despite 60% population growth. In Orange County, California, they are recycling water and capturing stormwater for use that would otherwise just flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Each year the conference provides a chance for networking, learning, and connecting with leaders in the field of groundwater management and this year’s conference provided plenty of new ideas and inspiration!

Photos courtesy of Groundwaterweek.com