With more than 25 years of experience in the environmental consulting industry advising major mining, oil and gas, infrastructure, government, and private clients, Ben Petrides, Ph.D., brings a high level of knowledge and expertise to each new project. Ben has extensive experience in a wide range of areas: groundwater resource assessment and investigation, physical hydrogeological and aquifer testing, contaminant hydrogeology and hydrogeochemistry, fate and transport modelling and natural attenuation monitoring, numerical groundwater flow modeling, groundwater remediation solutions, mining hydrogeology, environmental impact assessments and mine dewatering, wastewater reuse, landfill assessments, and leachate modeling. His other groundwater modeling experience includes contaminant transport and decay modeling of organic pollutants, particle transport modeling, and impact modeling associated with wastewater storage, reuse, and irrigation schemes. Ben’s specific areas of hydrology experience include water balance modelling using Opsim and Goldsim for modelling of mine water process circuits, and water supply reliability assessment, including the effects of climate change.
What do you find most rewarding about the work that you do?
It’s nice being part of something bigger. Working on groundwater resource feasibility assessments and appraisals, I have been able to help my clients drought-proof their farms or secure a groundwater license to expand their farming operations for future generations for many years. This is both rewarding and humbling.
What are you currently working on?
Currently, I am working with a well-respected winery in northern Victoria who are renowned for their fortified wines. My client is expanding their operations into the whisky market by producing single malt whiskies that are matured in their fortified wine barrels. I am assisting them with securing a water licence of 300 Megalitres/year to support irrigation activities and wine and whisky production.
How can our clients benefit from this service/particular innovation?
Navigating the regulatory requirements for groundwater licensing can be a painstaking process. Our many years of experience and the relationships we have built with the regulator ensure that our fieldwork designs are technically robust, cost palatable, and consistent with the complexity and rigor required for the scale of the application.
What advice do you have for recent graduates?
Outside of work, I manage our farming operations where we grow our black angus cows and produce our own wine (Yangoora Farm – watch out for it) and honey.
