Services

 Freshwater Ecological Assessments
 Soil, Sediment & Water Contamination Assessments
 Development of Rehabilitation, Maintenance & Management Plans
 Water Use Licence Applications & Other
 Analysis of Engineering Designs & Implementation Methodologies
 Environmental Oversight Services During Project Operation
 Basic Environmental Auditing & Performance Appraisals

Assessment Environments

 Wetlands - Channelled & Unchannelled Valley Bottom Wetlands, Hillslope Seep Wetlands & Artificial Wetlands
 Rivers, Lakes & Dams - Eplimnic & Benthic Environments
 Groundwater - Including Karstic Dolomitic Aquifers & Dolerite Sills
 Stormwater
 Other artificial or anthropogenically modified systems

Assessment Spheres

 Residential Developments
 Infrastructure Development - including transit, and sanitation (from small scale septic systems to municipal treatment plants)
 Industrial Activities - including paint manufacturing and galvanising plants
 Mining Operations - platinum, gold, coal, diamond, silicon and gabbro-norite mining

Reporting

My reporting experience includes: temporal and spatial analysis of water quality data, toxicological data, biomonitoring and other aquatic and wetland ecological data using standard statistical analyses. Regarding wetland and aquatic ecological assessments specifically, I have applied various approved methods including:
 Determination of the Present Ecological State (PES) using the WET-Health Index(Macfarlane et al., 2008)
 Determination of the PES using the Wetland Index of Habitat Integrity (DWAF 2007)
 Determination of the PES using the Riparian Vegetation Response Index (Kleynhans et al., 2007)
 Determination of the Ecological Importance and Sensitivity (DWA, 1999; and Rountree & Kotze, 2013)
 Determination of the ecological services and functions provided (Kotze et al., 2009)

Further my reporting experience includes:
 Application of multiple impact and risk indices
 Hydrocensus assessment
 Water reserve determination (Physio-chemical Driver Response Index (PAI), water quality analysis only)
 Investigation and “fingerprinting” of pollution and its responsible polluter
 Rehabilitation, maintenance and management recommendations, and formal planning reports
 Input into, and critical analysis of, engineering designs and methods from an aquatic ecological perspective.

I have also facilitated Water Use Authorisations encompassing the majority of the assessment spheres, processes followed include: General and Emergency Authorisation in terms of General Notice 509 of 2016, and Water Use Licence Applications in terms of Section 21 a), b), c), g), and i) of the South African National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998).

Participation Level

All of my work has been supervised and reviewed by a registered Professional Natural Scientist. However, a high degree of independence is maintained and I was the major contributor in each report. I was also largely responsible for my own project management and communication with clients. I have been required to solely facilitate consultation meetings with clients and approving authorities. At times, I have also had to solely advise and provide crucially important scientific and legal comment to clients. While my work is reviewed by more experienced peers, I have also had multiple opportunities to review and provide feedback on my peers’ work at Scientific Aquatic Services & Water Use Licence Associates.

Locations

My work experience has encompassed projects in the following provinces of South Africa - Gauteng, Limpopo, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, the Northern and the Western Cape.

Canadian Work Experience

Whilst I do not have any Canadian work experience I hold specialist technical expertise that is easily transferrable, and have undertaken training pertaining to the legal and scientific context of the Canadian environment. Whilst the methods of assessment and protocols between South Africa and Canada may be different, scientific principles and knowledge are universal.