Symbiont’s water resources engineers, scientists and technicians are recognized as providers of state-of-the-art technology combined with innovative thinking and practical know-how in a wide range of water resource related services.  Symbiont offers a comprehensive suite of water resource services organized into the following service areas:

Municipal Stormwater:

  • Comprehensive Stormwater Programs
  • Stormwater Financing and Utilities
  • GIS-Based Data Collection, Management and Reporting (STORM)
  • Inventories and Mapping
  • Low Impact Development Best Management Practices (BMPs)
  • Rate Structures
  • Ordinances and Technical Manuals

Stormwater pollution from point sources and nonpoint sources is a challenging water quality problem.  Unlike pollution from industry or sewage treatment facilities, which is caused by a discrete number of sources, stormwater pollution is caused by the daily activities of people everywhere. Rainwater and snowmelt run off streets, lawns, farms, and construction and industrial sites and pick up pollutants on the way to our receiving waters.  Symbiont has expertise in all facets of municipal stormwater planning, implementation, data management and reporting.

Regulatory Compliance:

  • Municipal and Industrial NPDES Permitting
  • Floodplain Regulation Compliance
  • CSO LTCP Alternative Development
  • TMDL Development

Today’s municipalities, industries and communities face a multitude of operational, planning and reporting mandates regulated by various federal and state agencies. The complexities of these mandates require a thorough understanding of how they fit together and how they affect communities.  Symbiont has developed, negotiated and implemented plans and programs that have helped our clients receive obtainable and manageable limits and drastically reduced penalties and fines, with reasonable implementation schedules.


Watershed Services:

  • Watershed Planning and Management
  • Data Collection, Mapping and GIS Applications
  • Watershed Quality and Quantity Modeling
  • TMDL Implementation
  • Public Involvement and Education
  • BMP Programs

Symbiont’s watershed services help communities develop a sound understanding of the condition of their watersheds.  We typically conduct watershed planning activities on a large scale (10 to 100 square miles) that revolves around analyzing existing data, identifying watershed issues and conditions, engaging local citizens, developing objectives that reflect local sentiments, and outlining a strategy to achieve these objectives.


Water Quality Studies:

  • Environmental Impact Assessment
  • Risk Assessment – Human Health and Ecological
  • Wetland Delineation, Evaluation and Enhancement
  • Effluent Discharge Analysis and Mixing Zone Delineation

Symbiont uses its experienced water quality experts and environmental engineers to work with all parties involved and integrate all necessary considerations into a comprehensive watershed management plan.  Symbiont provides our clients with an understanding of water-quality conditions within the area(s) of study and how those conditions may vary locally, regionally, and nationally; whether conditions are getting better or worse over time; define the risk to human health and the environment; and identify how natural features and human activities affect those conditions.

Sediment Studies:

  • Sediment Sampling and Analysis Plan Preparation
  • Sediment Transport Modeling
  • Risk-Based Sediment Characterization Studies
  • CERCLA Remedial Investigations, Feasibility Studies and Remedial Actions
  • Dredging and Disposal Site Assessment, Modeling and Monitoring

Symbiont provides strategic planning for sediment quality evaluations appropriately scaled to the needs of a site and that meets regulatory requirements.  Sediment evaluations range from relatively simple assessments of determining the nature and extent of contamination to more complex efforts that may include sediment toxicity tests, tissue bioaccumulation studies, and benthic community analyses.  Ecological and human health risk assessments are typically conducted as part of sediment quality evaluation, natural resource damage assessments, and remedial investigations and feasibility studies.  Symbiont’s staff of highly respected biologists, water resource specialists, environmental chemists, geologists and hydrogeologists works together to provide efficiently designed and technically defensible assessments.  Symbiont designs and implements complex sediment evaluation work plans, feasibility studies and remedial actions to comply with state and federal regulatory frameworks.

Water Supply:

  • Source Water Assessment and Protection
  • Water Supply and Wastewater Conveyance Systems

Every water source and supply system is unique.  Whether the source water is pumped form deep groundwater wells or is drawn from a surface water source, Symbiont has successfully worked with municipalities to meet state drinking water regulatory requirements by assisting with source water evaluation and conveyance, development of pretreatment requirements, design of new or modified treatment facilities, plant expansions, operational optimizations and process monitoring and control systems.

Hydraulic and Hydrologic Engineering:

  • Hydraulic and Hydrologic Modeling and Analysis
  • Master Planning
  • GIS-Based Floodplain Mapping
  • Structures Design
  • Watercourse and Structure Inspection and Maintenance Database
  • Field Data Collection
  • Construction Inspection and Management
  • Streambank Stabilization

Symbiont,s staff of highly-qualified engineers provide innovative solutions to stormwater control. We specialize in urban infiltration and inflow studies, floodplain analysis, stream restoration, and erosion mitigation.  Symbiont’s design engineers are experienced in designing and managing the construction of stormwater conveyance systems, including sewers, detention ponds, inlet and outlet flow structures, as well as low impact development techniques, such as rain gardens, porous pavement and green roofs.

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Symbiont has received DaimlerChrysler's Quality Excellence Award for soil/groundwater remediation and industrial waste treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

Symbiont has performed over 100 ESAs at a variety of sites.

 

 

 

 

At the former site of a large automobile manufacturing plant, Symbiont designed over 14 groundwater/product recovery systems, seven groundwater treatment units, and three soil vapor extraction systems to cost-effectively target selected portions of the site.

 

 

 

 

 

Symbiont has performed OM&M on soil and groundwater remediation systems at a variety of sites as:

  • Metals office furniture manufacturing plants
  • Machining facilities
  • Band instrument manufacturing plants
  • Airport fueling facilities
  • Automotive assembly plants

 

 

 

 

 

Symbiont staff has utilized numerous models such as:

  • HELP
  • SESOIL
  • ATI23D
  • ISCLY
  • MODFLOW
  • MINTEQ
  • USGS MOC
  • QUICKFLOW
  • MT3D
  • PATH3D
  • WHPA
  • BIOPLUME
  • SOLUTE

 

 

 

Investigation, Remediation and Site Closure Services

Symbiont understands our clients’ ultimate goal is to manage and limit their liability in a technically sound and cost-effective manner.  The need to comply with environmental regulations often makes it very difficult to achieve this goal.  Navigating through the applicable regulations and finding cost-effective and timely solutions requires an experienced, multi-disciplined team.

Symbiont offers exactly this type of environmental consulting to our clients.  We use our wealth of experience and expertise to provide innovative and quality solutions.  Listed below are some of Symbiont’s services specific to Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs).

  • Phase I and II ESAs
  • Site Characterization
  • Site-Specific Risk-Based Cleanup Standards
  • Remedial Action Alternatives Evaluation
  • Remedial Action Design and Implementation
  • Remedial System Operation, Maintenance and Monitoring
  • Site Closure
  • Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport Modeling

 

Phase I and II ESAs

Symbiont has extensive experience in performing ESAs, which are important tools for buying, selling, and refinancing properties to assess possible hidden liabilities associated with a given site. The Phase I ESA is used to identify potential environmental liabilities at a site based on a site inspection and available historical information of the site and surrounding area.  The Phase II ESA is performed to confirm whether environmental liabilities are actually present based on sampling of soil, groundwater, and other media.

Site Characterization

The success of any site characterization effort depends on the planning that is done prior to actual fieldwork.  At Symbiont we have used many innovative, accelerated site-characterization techniques such as:  hydraulic probe sampling, on‑site gas chromatograph analysis, cone penetrometer testing, and geophysical testing. Rapid sample collection techniques and on-site analytical screening tools are also used to accelerate data collection and reduce costs compared to traditional investigation techniques.

Site-Specific Standards Development

Following site characterization, the next step at a site with soil or groundwater contamination will typically be to determine the cleanup objectives.  Symbiont can calculate site-specific cleanup standards that take into account the latest regulatory requirements, potential risks and liability, future site use, and costs.  The use of risk-based cleanup standards can result in significant reductions in remediation costs at contaminated sites, and may even completely eliminate the need for remedial action.

Remedial Action Evaluation

When assessing remedial actions for a site, Symbiont stresses innovative solutions.  This requires a thorough understanding of the available technologies, applicable regulations, and site conditions while keeping in mind the ultimate goal of economical site closure.  Symbiont will consider the full range of potential treatment options as well as innovative technologies (such as surfactant injection, air sparging, active chemical oxidation, on-site soil management in Areas of Contamination and Corrective Action Management Units, and phytoremediation) to determine the most appropriate technical and economic solution for a site.

Remedial Action Design and Implementation

Symbiont has considerable experience and expertise in the design and construction of treatment systems.  Our staff have designed in‑situ and ex-situ remediation systems to treat organic and inorganic contaminants for both soil and groundwater.  We have prepared bid documents and specifications and conducted excavation and removal efforts for sites ranging in scope from petroleum contamination to hazardous waste unit closure.

Remedial System Operation, Maintenance, and Monitoring

Symbiont's capabilities include supplying personnel and services for managing and optimizing the operation of remedial systems. Remedial system operation, maintenance, and monitoring (OM&M) includes maintaining, adjusting, and calibrating equipment and instrumentation as well as properly handling and monitoring emissions and other waste streams.  Only through proper OM&M can the effectiveness of a remedial system be evaluated and maximized.  Symbiont also believes the most efficient way to optimize systems is to plan, perform, and document preventive maintenance, thus minimizing unscheduled work, system downtime and the need to respond to emergencies.

Site Closure

The final step in the environmental remediation process is to obtain site closure.  Closure means that the agency agrees the site was cleaned up to standards protective of human health and the environment, eliminating a liability for the owner.  Symbiont understands that obtaining site closure as quickly and as cost-effectively as possible is the main objective for most clients.  Our investigative activities, negotiations with regulators, and remedial approaches are formulated to ultimately achieve site closure at a minimum cost and over a time frame our client and regulators feel is reasonable.

Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport Modeling

Symbiont uses analytical and numerical models as tools to assist in evaluating groundwater, soil vapor, air emission, and contaminant fate and transport.  As a result of the advances in computer technology and the availability of sophisticated analysis and interface programs, the trend in solutions for problems in groundwater hydraulics and contaminant migration is increasingly towards more quantitative or absolute solutions rather than qualitative or relative estimates. Models form the link between field collection of data and reliable solutions.  They are useful for reconnaissance studies prior to field investigations, for evaluation of potential site-specific risks, for interpretative studies following fieldwork, and for predictive studies to evaluate the effect of remediation systems on current conditions.