Mystery Solver

Hydrogeologist Alicia Kimberley loves a good challenge and “MacGyvering” the best solution

Q:Tell us a bit more about your job and your responsibilities.

As Hydrogeology Group Leader at Tatham Engineering, I manage a group of six similarly curious hydrogeologists and hydrogeologists in training. I lead hydrogeological projects from the early planning stages right through to development and beyond. The projects my team are typically involved with include: hydrogeological assessments in support of ARA licensing, ECA/PTTW monitoring and reporting for pits and quarries, excess soil management, water supply and waste water feasibility studies, dewatering assessments in support of water taking permitting, as well as geoenvironmental assessments and surface water-groundwater interaction studies.

Q:Describe your typical day on the job and how the work you do contributes to the company.

The best part of my job is that every day is different. As projects evolve the requirements for a job change dramatically. You can start out planning and coordinating the applicable field work, then you’re overseeing or carrying out the field work, assessing the field results and ultimately reporting the findings. During all of this I would be updating the client, consulting with the applicable regulatory bodies, and coordinating with other consultants involved with the project.

Tatham is a multidisciplinary civil engineering firm working in the areas of water resources, land development, municipal infrastructure, water/wastewater, structural, and electrical/mechanical – all of which rely on establishing a hydrogeological understanding. Having an in-house hydrogeology team with a diverse area of practice has allowed Tatham to work more efficiently and effectively on projects. Our clients also appreciate having a consistent hydrogeologist involved in projects from start to finish.  

Q: What do you find most challenging in your work?

Hydrogeology can be very challenging – but that is what appeals to me! Every site is different. Even when you have regional groundwater mapping covering a site, you won’t know what’s going on from a local scale until a site-specific groundwater study is performed.

To date the most challenging, but exciting, project I worked through involved a pressurized aquifer, which unexpectedly breached during site development and required an extensive dewatering exercise.  The project had dewatering rates of over 2 million liters per day over an 18-month period to repair the breach and continue with site development.

Q: What do you enjoy the most?

I thoroughly enjoy solving hydrogeology mysteries. I find groundwater behavior fascinating, and when you start predicting groundwater behavior on a local scale it gets even more interesting! The projects where unexpected hydrogeological conditions are encountered, when the field work or analysis throws me a hurdle and I get to MacGyver a solution, are my absolute favorites.

Q: How did you become interested in this field/this work?

I have always been curious about hydrogeology. I grew up in a rural town where the local groundwater had been contaminated by illegal dumping of PCB and drinking water needed to be shipped in, which had limiting implications for town growth. Growing up with an awareness of the potentially detrimental impacts we can have on groundwater has driven me to continue advancing my hydrogeological wheelhouse, and to share that knowledge with others to raise awareness.

EDUCATION AND ADVANCEMENT

Q: IS YOUR CURRENT POSITION THE SAME AS WHEN YOU STARTED IN THIS COMPANY?

When I joined Tatham in October 2022, the hydrogeology department was a team of 1. Since my start date, Tatham acquired Whitewater Hydrogeology and hired five additional team members. Growing from a department of 1 to 6 in less than a year has been an impressive feat that I am very proud of. Prior to this, Tatham subcontracted for their hydrogeological needs, but developing our services in-house has enabled our team growth to accelerate.

Q: HOW DID YOU EDUCATION OR TRAINING PREPARE YOU FOR THIS WORK?

I obtained my Bachelor of Science from McMaster University and then continued my education journey at Waterloo University where I obtained my Master of Science specializing in hydrogeophysics. While at Waterloo University my thesis focused on the application of shallow hydrogeophysical methods, but my academic focus was on hydrogeology.

I was fortunate to get a job immediately after my masters program with an amazing mentor. At the time, I thought my mentor could be quite annoying with what felt like constant constructive feedback, stories and ‘lessons learned.’ Looking back, the things I was taught during these first few years of my career have shaped me into the hydrogeologist I am now. 

Although my education and professional designations (P.Geo.) are vital to being the lead hydrogeologist on my projects, the on-the-job training has been the most valuable. To work in the realm of hydrogeology, the prescribed academic education/training is not absolutely vital; however, without the formal academic education/training, which is required to obtain the applicable professional designations, you would be limited with respect to your ultimate career growth.

Q: IF YOU COULD START OVER, WOULD YOU CHANGE YOUR CAREER PATH?

I wouldn’t change my career path. Although my journey has not always been sunshine and rainbows, and I have had to work through some different working scenarios, I feel like these situations have made me a better manager, and professional.

I am proud of what I have accomplished to date, and I am excited to continue growing in the years to come.

INDUSTRY AND ADVICE

Q: What advice would you give a high school aged student unsure of the opportunities in the aggregate industry?    

The aggregate industry is multi-disciplinary and offers plenty of diverse career opportunities; you could start your career in one area and over time move into another area. Working on projects in the aggregate industry is almost like putting a puzzle together. The industry is heavily regulated, which sets the stage for what needs to be done, but there are so many different parties  all working simultaneously. It is impressive to watch the pieces come together to achieve the same goal. This industry is anything but boring!

Q: What are some common jobs in the aggregate industry that you do not need a formal education to apply for?

With respect to hydrogeology, our field work is typically carried out by a field technician. For our work in the aggregate industry, field technicians  working on pit/quarry sites will measure groundwater levels using monitoring wells, collect groundwater and surface water samples for chemical analysis, and monitor surface-groundwater interactions.

This job involves a lot of time outside walking and exploring pit/quarry properties at various stages of a project. If you are lucky enough to be the technician continuously monitoring a specific site, you may get to see the evolution of a pit/quarry from planning to the initial stages of extraction.

Q: What hard or soft skills should someone in your field have?               

Hard skills: Project coordination, troubleshooting/MacGyvering, and data management

Soft skills: Adaptability, professionalism, and attention to detail