HomeCommittee Members
Brighid Ó Dochartaigh
Brighid is a Chartered Geologist with an MSc in Hydrogeology and 14 years postgraduate experience in groundwater resources, protection and management in the UK and internationally. She is a senior hydrogeologist with the British Geological Survey, based in Edinburgh, and has worked throughout the UK, and internationally on development projects in Africa, central Asia, China and the Middle East. Brighid’s hydrogeological experience includes groundwater in difficult (e.g. low permeability) environments; urban groundwater; groundwater monitoring; vulnerability assessment; groundwater chemistry of Scottish aquifers; groundwater management in Africa and Asia; and climate change and groundwater. My BGS website is here.
Tim Besien
Tim is a Chartered Geologist with over 17 years' experience of protecting groundwater quality and resources. He has worked for the Environment Agency since 1999, starting in a regional role and then becoming a Groundwater Technical Specialist in Head Office. Responsibilities include the Water Framework Directive (WFD), Diffuse Pollution, Permitting, Groundwater Policy and Groundwater Vulnerability. Tim’s previous positions include working as a hydrogeologist for an environmental consultancy and undertaking groundwater research at the Institute of Hydrology. Tim is currently representing the Environment Agency on the Groundwater Task Team for the WFD UK Technical Advisory Group.
Richard Boak
Richard is an independent consultant with 30 years of experience as a hydrogeologist and engineer. He is professionally qualified in both disciplines (Chartered Geologist and Chartered Engineer). Before starting his own company, Richard has held a variety of senior technical and managerial positions such as: Regional Manager for Europe and Africa, for Schlumberger Water Services (formerly Water Management Consultants); Principal Hydrogeologist for Southern Water; and Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham. He has particular expertise in water resources planning, groundwater development and protection, small-scale rural water supplies, borehole test pumping, and assessment of the environmental effects of groundwater abstraction. Richard has extensive international experience, with a strong focus on Africa (having worked in Angola, Bahamas, Botswana, India, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Oman, South Africa, Tanzania, United Kingdom and Zambia).
Martin Boland
Dr Martin Boland is a hydrogeologist with 19 years postgraduate experience. He is currently UK Operations Manager for Schlumberger Water Services (formerly Water Management Consultants), having previously worked for Entec and the BGS. Martin has extensive experience in groundwater characterisation and monitoring as part of both water resource development and impact assessment projects. Martin’s technical focus is in the development of aquifer testing and monitoring programmes relating to both water resource and water quality studies, determination of minewater dewatering requirements, and groundwater risk assessment, in particular related to Acid Rock Drainage. Martin has worked on projects in many countries including the UK, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Israel, Qatar and Botswana, and has lived in both Chile and Ecuador.
Harriet Carlyle
Dr Harriet Carlyle is a chartered geologist with 18 years postgraduate experience in hydrogeology, primarily in water resources but also in contaminated land and waste management. She is currently a technical manager with Grontmij, managing the groundwater resources team. Previously she held positions with Earth Tech, Golder Associates and KBR, the latter including long-term secondments to Yorkshire Water. Harriet’s experience covers all aspects of groundwater development, management and protection in both the public and private sectors. Her technical expertise includes yield and quality studies, economic evaluation, borehole construction, rehabilitation and abandonment, EIA (to support planning applications as well as abstraction licensing) SEA, mitigation of water treatment issues and quantitative risk assessment.
Dr Mark Cuthbert
Mark has worked as a hydrogeologist since 1999 within the commercial, academic and charitable sectors and is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham. Though working across a range of disciplines and environments, the common focus of his research is on improving understanding of groundwater hydraulic processes by combining innovative laboratory and field data collection with analytical and numerical modelling. His research covers the following areas: groundwater recharge, surface water-groundwater interactions, applied hydrogeology for nuclear waste disposal and decommissioning, as well as groundwater and unsaturated zone flow and transport modelling. He has been involved in overseas projects in Bangladesh, Mozambique, Uganda, Sudan and Ghana. His university website is: http://www.gees.bham.ac.uk/staff/cuthbertm.shtml
Ian Davey
Ian is a Chartered Geologist and EuroGeologist with more than twenty years' experience of protecting water quality and resources. He has worked for the Environment Agency and before this, the National Rivers Authority and Water Authorities, handling the regulation of contaminated land, waste management (landfills), agricultural activities (nitrate, pesticides), infrastructure development (e.g. roads, airports), R&D, and groundwater quality monitoring. More recently he has been on attachment to the Polish and Bulgarian Governments, managing European Commission projects on environmental directives, in preparation for joining the European Union. Currently Ian is managing river basin management projects under the Water Framework Directive for the Environment Agency
Aidan Foley
Aidan is a hydrogeologist with 12 years postgraduate experience in groundwater science and holds particular interests in groundwater chemistry, contaminant transport, well field and groundwater resource vulnerability, tracer tests, and the hydrology and geomorphology of karst aquifers. Aidan received his MSc in Environmental Sciences in 1999 and his PhD in Geological Sciences in 2006. He is currently the Managing Director of Environmental Geology and Geotechnical Consultants Ltd., and is based in Manchester. He has worked on projects in the UK, Germany, Russia, Sri Lanka and Mexico, and speaks fluent Spanish. His company website may be viewed here: www.eggconsult.co.uk
Chris Leake
Chris gained a first degree in Earth Science prior to working in oil exploration in South East Asia for 5 years. Returned to the UK to study MSc in hydrogeology followed by 1½ years in Kwara State, Nigeria working on a groundwater development project. Consultant in the UK for 3 years then Pakistan on a regional groundwater assessment and development study. 7 years with quarrying company Tarmac as group hydrogeologist working on a wide range of projects throughout the UK. Acted as voluntary hydrogeological adviser to WaterAid for the last 7 years. A member of RedR with short input in Goma, Zaire in 1994. Worked as freelance hydrogeological consultant, then founded Hafren Water consultancy in 2000. Input to a wide range of groundwater investigations in the UK and overseas including undertaking work for WaterAid, most recently running a workshop on integrated water resource management in Ethiopia.
Lewis McCaffrey
Lewis is a Chartered Geologist and Chartered Scientist with a PhD in geology, and masters degrees in hydrogeology and mineral exploration. He has over a decade of experience of groundwater exploration, use and study in the UK and southern Africa. He is the Environmental Manager of Kelda Water Services, with responsibilities which include Water Resources and groundwater chemistry. Lewis’ experience includes running rural water supply programs in South Africa and Angola, sampling and analysing for groundwater fluoride, water resources monitoring and aquifer testing. His interests include medical geology, military hydrogeology and the economics of groundwater use.
Richard Taylor
Dr Richard Taylor has 16 years of professional experience investigating and developing groundwater resources as well as providing technical assistance to water-supply projects primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. It is in Africa where Richard developed an abiding interest in the hydrogeology of weathered crystalline rock aquifer systems that occur throughout the tropics. His research interests and expertise also extend to the impact of climate and development on groundwater resources, and the mobility of faecal pathogens in groundwater. Apart from providing technical assistance to a range of international and non-governmental organisations, Richard has since 2000 held a faculty position at University College London and is adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Geology of Makerere University (Uganda). My academic website can be found here.
