Brown and Caldwell appoints leader for expanding Canada business

Feb 21, 2023

VANCOUVER — Leading environmental engineering and construction services firm Brown and Caldwell today announces the promotion of Vice President Dave Bergdolt to Western Canada area leader, effective immediately. Bergdolt brings three decades of water and wastewater infrastructure and treatment experience to help clients in the region overcome environmental and water-related challenges.

Having joined the firm 15 years ago, Bergdolt has led numerous highly technical projects from conceptual planning through construction and startup. Projects have included wastewater facility expansions and upgrades, water quality improvements, sustainable water supplies, and sewer system rehabilitation.

As Western Canada leader, Bergdolt will augment the firm’s 60-year history of planning and engineering services for the Lower Mainland’s water and environment sector. In addition to developing Vancouver’s original sewerage plan in 1953, the Rawn Report, projects by the firm include upgrades to the world’s largest trickling filter solids contact wastewater facility and supporting the development of Vancouver’s Healthy Waters Plan.

He will be responsible for operations management, driving new client growth, and expanding the firm’s regional presence to meet market and customer needs. In alignment with Brown and Caldwell’s commitment to First Nations opportunities, he will advocate First Nation engagement on projects within British Columbia and Western Canada to provide contracting and economic development opportunities.

Furthermore, Bergdolt will oversee the hiring and advancement of top talent and strengthen Brown and Caldwell’s reputation as the place to work on the most complex environmental engineering projects.

“Dave’s leadership, experience, and client-centric focus will be key to the continued growth of our Canada business. His deep knowledge will be an asset to our clients and people as we work together to positively impact our communities.”

Brown and Caldwell Senior Vice President Steve Anderson

Evaluate pH and alkalinity targets to help control corrosion

Feb 1, 2023

Brown and Caldwell name new chief people officer

Jan 31, 2023

DENVER, Colo. — Brown and Caldwell today announce Susan Gehoski has joined the leading environmental engineering and construction services firm as senior vice president and its new chief people officer (CPO).

With over 20 years of experience at Fortune 100 and 500 companies, Gehoski has held various human resources (HR) leadership roles, providing strategic direction in start-up, mergers and acquisitions, and growth modes for healthcare, manufacturing, engineering and professional services, and utilities.

Before joining Brown and Caldwell, she served on the leadership team at a global mining company, building its HR function and serving as an executive advisor to implement strategic people plans to support business objectives.

Her broad experience includes business strategy, talent management, leadership development, change management, organizational design, and employee experience.

As CPO, Denver-based Gehoski will lead Brown and Caldwell’s people and culture strategy as it continues to grow across North America and the Pacific. In the last five years, the firm has increased its headcount by one-third to over 1,900 employee-owners.

She will play a key role in enhancing creative people-centric approaches in support of Brown and Caldwell’s growth aspirations as it invests in its people through leadership and technical development programs, benefit options, and continuing education. She will counsel and lead all talent and HR-related initiatives while serving as a culture steward for the company. Additionally, Gehoski will work to further shape Brown and Caldwell’s award-winning culture of inclusion to empower its people.

CEO Rich D’Amato commented on the hiring:

“I am delighted to welcome a leader of Susan’s caliber to lead our exceptional HR team to continue to attract and grow top talent while strengthening our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her skills and experience will help further our legacy as the place to work on the most complex water-related and environmental projects to improve communities.”

Successive atmospheric rivers test California’s infrastructure

Jan 24, 2023

Research project underway to prepare water utilities for wildfire events

Jan 17, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. — A multi-disciplinary team of utilities, academia, and consultants have convened to develop a study and publish guidance to improve water treatment resilience against the impacts of forest fires.

Critical to water security, forested watersheds provide 75 percent of the world’s accessible freshwater (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations 2021) and supply drinking water for more than two-thirds of North American consumers (EPA 2019). The frequency and severity of forest fires have been increasing globally with warming temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns due to climate change. Wildfires can cause costly, long-term water treatment issues that push water treatment processes beyond their design and operational response capabilities.

Such issues include filtration effectiveness, disinfection efficacy, the elevation of disinfection by-product formation, and increased bioavailable phosphorus leading to problematic cyanobacterial/algal blooms.

Led by a principal research team of Lynn Stephens (Brown and Caldwell), Dr. Mac Gifford and Yone Akagi (Portland Water Bureau), and Dr. Monica Emelko (University of Waterloo), Water Research Foundation (WRF) project #5168 is funded by the foundation’s Emerging Opportunities Program and the Portland Water Bureau (PWB).

PWB is designing a new greenfield 135 million gallons per day water filtration facility. This study will inform how to prioritize treatment changes due to wildfires and other events. Additional in-kind partners include Metro Vancouver, Medford Water Commission, and the City of Grants Pass.

The team will assess the ash characteristics of several past Northwest fires, including large amounts of ash collected by PWB from the 2020 Riverside Fire, which spread to over 138,000 acres. Ash collected by Seattle Public Utilities and Metro Vancouver from the 2022 Bolt Creek Fire and Minnekhada Fire, respectively, will also be analyzed.

This project has already been a successful collaboration between utilities to collect such large amounts of ash in an active fire zone. The team will use the large amounts of ash to conduct bench- and pilot-scale treatment experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatment strategies. Moreover, specialized analytical monitoring to fully characterize organics and nutrient changes throughout the treatment process will be utilized.

“It is becoming more common for wildfires to impact drinking water supplies. This study will equip utilities with guidance on how to best enhance treatment resilience to climate change-exacerbated landscape disturbances, including but not limited to wildland fire.”

Lynn Stephens, Brown and Caldwell

A key outcome of the study will be the prioritization of readily available adaptations to the water treatment process to respond to wildfire impacts and still meet regulatory, public health, and production requirements. The project is anticipated to take 15 months. Upon completion, a project report will be published and findings presented to the industry via a WRF webcast.

###

About The Water Research Foundation

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is the leading research organization advancing the science of all water to meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. WRF is a nonprofit, educational organization that funds, manages, and publishes research on the technology, operation, and management of drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater systems—all in pursuit of ensuring water quality and improving water services to the public. For more information, visit www.waterrf.org

References

Wildfires: How Do They Affect Our Water Supplies? | US EPA

Forest and Water Programme | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (fao.org)

###

Industrial water reuse and the need for UV treatment

Jan 5, 2023

Muir named Brown and Caldwell Eastern leader

Jan 4, 2023

HARTFORD, Conn. — Leading environmental engineering and construction services firm Brown and Caldwell today announces Senior Vice President Eric Muir has been promoted to leader of its growing Eastern business.

The largest of the company’s regions with over 40 offices east of the Mississippi River, the Eastern business consists of clients in the water, wastewater, stormwater, environmental services, and water resources sectors.

Muir has a 20-year background in delivering highly technical civil and environmental engineering projects. He has held leadership and technical roles on some of the most complex projects encompassing water and wastewater treatment, distribution and collection, pumping, and conveyance systems. His experience includes master planning, detailed design, permitting, and construction services.

Since joining Brown and Caldwell in 2018, Muir’s business development expertise and client-centric focus have played a key role in setting the company’s regional strategic direction to achieve strong financial results.

“Eric is a highly strategic and inclusive leader, passionate about mentoring employees to reach their full potential. His deep knowledge of clients’ environmental obstacles will enhance the positive impacts our teams have on the communities we serve.”

Brown and Caldwell Chief Operating Officer Euan Finlay

Based in Connecticut, Muir will manage overall operations and lead the implementation of the firm’s strategy in the East. He will continue the region’s growth and lead efforts to make Brown and Caldwell the company of choice for clients, employees, and partners. He will work alongside regional leadership to align the firm’s talent pool with clients to provide innovative, cost-effective solutions to challenges related to water quality, biosolids management, and aging infrastructure.

WCDA presents awards at quarterly meeting

Dec 20, 2022

10 pump professionals to watch

Dec 18, 2022

Are pyrolysis & gasification the answer for PFAS in biosolids?

Dec 13, 2022

Brown and Caldwell to design the replacement of critical Southern California water pipeline

Dec 13, 2022

LOS ANGELES — The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan) has hired leading environmental engineering and construction services firm Brown and Caldwell to design a sectional replacement of the Rialto Feeder, a critical Southern California water supply pipeline.

Metropolitan’s mission is to ensure a safe and reliable water supply for the 19 million people in Southern California in the face of climate change and extended drought.

The Rialto Pipeline, constructed in 1972, is approximately 30 miles long with a diameter ranging from 96 inches to 144 inches. It conveys untreated water from DWR’s (California Department of Water Resources) Lake Silverwood to Metropolitan’s Live Oak Reservoir in La Verne. Under normal conditions, the Rialto Pipeline relies on raw water deliveries from the East Branch of the SWP (California State Water Project) via DWR’s Devil Canyon Afterbay. Member agencies with service connections on the Rialto Pipeline include the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Three Valleys Municipal Water District, and the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District.

Located in Upland, the aging 35-foot section of the large-diameter pipeline requires replacement due to mortar lining degradation. As design engineer, Brown and Caldwell will provide professional services, encompassing utility investigations, design of a new cement mortar lined 121.5-inch diameter steel replacement pipe, restoration of existing improvements, and permit approval from the City of Upland.

Furthermore, the firm will work closely with Metropolitan to develop a construction sequencing plan to minimize service disruptions during replacement work. Once design is complete, the new section of pipeline is anticipated to be installed by late 2024.

“We applaud Metropolitan for their proactive approach to maximizing the life of existing infrastructure,” said Brown and Caldwell Vice President Steve Hirai. “Our team is honored to work with Metropolitan leadership to help maintain a vital water supply artery to residents and businesses of Southern California.”

Discussing net water positivity

Dec 9, 2022

News