DGS staff member A. Scott Andres along with J. Thomas Sims of the University’s Department of Plant and Soil Science have had a paper “Assessing Potential Impacts of a Wastewater Rapid Infiltration Basin System on Groundwater Quality: A Delaware Case Study” published in the Journal of Environmental Quality. This paper is the latest technical report from a DGS-led project “Evaluation of Rapid Infiltration Basin Systems (RIBS).” Four additional reports on this project are nearing release in the DGS bulletin series. Information about this project can be found at: http://www.dgs.udel.edu/projects/evaluation-rapid-infiltration-basin-systems-ribs

A poster "Modeling Engineered Approaches to Enhance Denitrification under Rapid Infiltration Basins" resulting from a collaborative research project between Paul Imhoff, Maryam Akhavan (UD Civil&Environmental Engineering), A. Scott Andres (DGS), and Stefan Finsterle (Lawrence Berkley National Lab) was presented at the Fall 2012 AGU meeting in San Francisco, CA on Dec. 3.

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering/DGS/Water Resources Center Research Fellow Maryam Akhavan authors paper on Rapid Infiltration Basins.

Scott Andres of Delaware Geological Survey did a presentation titled "Land application of wastewater in Delaware - Results of research on RIBS, spray irrigation, and reuse" at Delaware Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association annual conference, Oct 11, Dover DE.

Two Delaware Geological Survey staff members attended the Source Water Assessment and Protection Program meeting held Sept. 14 in Dover, Del. Scott Andres made a presentation titled "Results of Field and Lab Experiments on High Rate Land Application of Wastewater" and John Callahan made a presentation titled "Web-Delivered Application for Hydrogeologic Data."

The Delaware Geological Survey (DGS) has published a new geologic map of the area east of Georgetown in Sussex County entitled Geologic Map of the Harbeson Quadrangle, Delaware. Geologic Map 17 presents the results of research by Kelvin W. Ramsey and Jaime L. Tomlinson of the DGS.

The map shows and describes the geologic units found at the land surface and in the shallow subsurface in the map area. The map includes cross sections that show stratigraphic units that lie beneath the surficial units and detailed descriptions and ages of all units presented on the map.

John Talley joined the Delaware Geological Survey as a project geologist in 1972, became a senior scientist and hydrogeologist by 1986, and rose to director and state geologist by 2004. He’s consulted with dozens of university, state, and federal governments and groups and amassed a list of more than 50 publications and reports.

Scott Andres of the Delaware Geological Survey made a presentation titled "Results of Field and Lab Experiments on High Rate Land Application of Wastewater -- RIBS -- Update on Current Research," at the Center for the Inland Bays, Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee, May 6, Lewes, Del.

More money would go to projects that make Delaware cleaner, greener and safer under a mostly no-growth budget outlined Monday by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Agency Secretary Collin P. O'Mara asked the Office of Management and Budget for about $35.2 million in general funds for the fiscal year that begins July 1, with health care costs accounting for most of the nearly $2 million increase from the current year.

This news story discusses RIBS project.

The goal of this project is to develop a three-dimensional (3D) numerical groundwater flow model to evaluate the potential impacts to surface- and groundwater resulting from the disposal of treated wastewater in a portion of the Inland Bays drainage basin.

By developing a sub-regional, fresh, groundwater flow model and analyzing results, several issues will be addressed that are related to state policy, regulation revision, and proposed projects associated with land-based wastewater disposal (LBWD) in Sussex County.

Scott Andres and Edward Walther, of the Delaware Geological Survey, presented "Development and Application of a GIS Screening Tool for Assessing Suitability of Land for Rapid Infiltration Basin Systems" at the National Ground Water Association Summit, Denver, April 12-15. Andres also participated in a panel discussion co-sponsored by the U.S. Subcommittee on Groundwater, "National Groundwater Monitoring Network: Listening Session."