Pascual Benito, Ph.D.

The Pure Water Monterey (PWM) indirect potable reuse (IPR) project (the Project) produces a much-needed reliable supplemental water supply for the Monterey Peninsula by treating previously discharged secondary effluent with the Advanced Water Purification Facility, and recharging the Seaside Groundwater Basin with the purified recycled water using a series of shallow and deep injection wells. Once injected into the Basin, treated water mixes with the groundwater in the aquifers, and is stored… Show more

The Pure Water Monterey (PWM) indirect potable reuse (IPR) project (the Project) produces a much-needed reliable supplemental water supply for the Monterey Peninsula by treating previously discharged secondary effluent with the Advanced Water Purification Facility, and recharging the Seaside Groundwater Basin with the purified recycled water using a series of shallow and deep injection wells. Once injected into the Basin, treated water mixes with the groundwater in the aquifers, and is stored for future extraction and use. The currently permitted and operational Project went online in March, 2020 and is providing 3,500 acre-feet per year (AF/yr) of supplies for California American Water Company (Cal-Am) to deliver to its customers in the Monterey District service area; allowing Cal-Am to reduce its diversions from the environmentally sensitive Carmel River system.

Modeling work has supported the successful permitting and regulatory approval of the project and is now being used to optimize ongoing project operations of the project which started injection operations in March 2020, and to plan for future expansion of the project. Show less

As part of the team of consultant firms providing on-call GIS programming services to Alameda County, Dr. Benito is Task Lead and developer for GIS application development to support programs of multiple County Departments including Department of Health & Environment, Public Works Agency, Fire Department, Registrar of Voters, County Assessor’s Office, and Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and for sharing of data with the public. Major projects include development of the… Show more

As part of the team of consultant firms providing on-call GIS programming services to Alameda County, Dr. Benito is Task Lead and developer for GIS application development to support programs of multiple County Departments including Department of Health & Environment, Public Works Agency, Fire Department, Registrar of Voters, County Assessor’s Office, and Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and for sharing of data with the public. Major projects include development of the Countywide eGIS Viewer for broad internal County for accessing a wide range of County GIS layers linked to County database systems, as well as agency-specific versions for the Public Works Agency to view infrastructure and assets, for the Community Development Agency to access zoning, land use, and permitting related databases, the Alameda County Gas Pipeline Hazards Viewer, and mobile applications for field data collection for use by both the Assessor’s Office and Public Works. Show less

Dr. Benito is part of team of hydrogeologists and engineers providing technical support for groundwater storage and recovery and San Francisco groundwater supply projects in the Westside Basin located in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. Dr. Benito is evaluating potential threats to drinking water from industrial releases of petroleum hydrocarbons and solvents from numerous sites, and also working as part of team evaluating the potential for land subsidence due to groundwater extraction.

As an application developer, Dr. Benito developed this public Web portal that provides data used to evaluate changes and trends in ambient air quality in West Oakland prior to and during the redevelopment of the 330-acre former Oakland Army Base (OAB). Hourly air quality and meteorological data from three monitoring stations are automatically transferred via cellular modems to a central SQL Server database, and the data are pushed to a cloud hosted web portal, populating interactive tables and… Show more

As an application developer, Dr. Benito developed this public Web portal that provides data used to evaluate changes and trends in ambient air quality in West Oakland prior to and during the redevelopment of the 330-acre former Oakland Army Base (OAB). Hourly air quality and meteorological data from three monitoring stations are automatically transferred via cellular modems to a central SQL Server database, and the data are pushed to a cloud hosted web portal, populating interactive tables and graphs accessible to the public, project stakeholders, and regulatory agencies. Data sets and project reports can be downloaded from the site, and the public can also submit questions and comments via the website. The web portal was built using a combination of HTML, CSS and JavaScript technologies, including the Google Maps JavaScript API and also allows for monitoring station locations to be viewed from within the Google Street View interface. The interactive charts, data tables, user comment forms and other content were developed, powered, and hosted using Google Enterprise components, including the Google Visualization API, Google Drive and Google Forms. Show less

The proposed project in general would increase flood conveyance by realigning a downstream portion of the creek, restore and enhance aquatic habitats, provide long-term vegetation management, and potential for providing educational opportunities and multi-purpose pathway along Ardenwood Creek, between Tupelo Lane and Alameda Creek in Fremont. The project entails both hydrologic & hydraulic analyses and aquatic restoration design for the creek, wetland, tidal and floodplain system. As part of… Show more

The proposed project in general would increase flood conveyance by realigning a downstream portion of the creek, restore and enhance aquatic habitats, provide long-term vegetation management, and potential for providing educational opportunities and multi-purpose pathway along Ardenwood Creek, between Tupelo Lane and Alameda Creek in Fremont. The project entails both hydrologic & hydraulic analyses and aquatic restoration design for the creek, wetland, tidal and floodplain system. As part of the recently selected consultant team working with the County on this project, Dr. Benito is managing CEQA and environmental permitting support, as well as GIS and data management support. Show less

To better identify flood control improvements needed to meet a 100-year flood protection level in Hayward, Union City, and Fremont, drainage master plans are being developed, which include detailed hydrologic and hydraulic studies. Dr. Benito is managing GIS data management and analysis support tasks for the project team, including development of a web-based GIS viewer that provides access to the entire GIS database of model system inputs and outputs, including land use, soil type, hydraulic… Show more

To better identify flood control improvements needed to meet a 100-year flood protection level in Hayward, Union City, and Fremont, drainage master plans are being developed, which include detailed hydrologic and hydraulic studies. Dr. Benito is managing GIS data management and analysis support tasks for the project team, including development of a web-based GIS viewer that provides access to the entire GIS database of model system inputs and outputs, including land use, soil type, hydraulic and hydrologic properties of open and closed channel networks, and supporting documents such as site photos, survey locations, as-builts. Dr. Benito is also managing staff carrying out QA/QC of project GIS data, geodatabase maintenance and conversion, development and analysis of hydraulic network model datasets, and preparing map exhibits of project data layers. Show less

In support of compliance with the Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP) and the City’s development of an Urban Greening Stormwater Retrofit Master Plan, Dr. Benito is overseeing GIS application development for tools to support the evaluation of site conditions and selection of appropriate stormwater green infrastructure treatment options and suitable plant palettes on City owned properties.

Dr. Benito lead development of GIS visualizations and 3-D models of VOC plumes and as part of a team providing support to EPA for the characterization and cleanup of this 1500 acre Super Fund Site. Responsibilities include overseeing of data integration and QA/QC of lithologic, hydrologic, and chemical data from thousands of boring and sampling locations, development of 3D digital elevation models, geostatistical modeling of the distribution of lithologic units and of contaminant plumes.

As part of the environmental permitting for the construction of a 125 foot tall wireless broadband internet tower in Yosemite National Park, Dr. Benito managed and lead the development of the visual impact analysis. With the National Park Service as the lead permitting agency, the analysis included the development of a 3-Dimensional terrain and land cover model used as the basis for a 7 mile radius viewshed analysis, and also used in the preparation visual simulations of the proposed project… Show more

As part of the environmental permitting for the construction of a 125 foot tall wireless broadband internet tower in Yosemite National Park, Dr. Benito managed and lead the development of the visual impact analysis. With the National Park Service as the lead permitting agency, the analysis included the development of a 3-Dimensional terrain and land cover model used as the basis for a 7 mile radius viewshed analysis, and also used in the preparation visual simulations of the proposed project as seen from different scenic viewpoints around the Park under different tower color scenarios. Show less

Dr. Benito served as project manager for team carrying out the environmental and zoning constraint analysis for the siting, planning, and preliminary permitting of the proposed 100 MW Montezuma Zephyr wind energy project. Responsibilities included coordination between the project developer, the County, project biologists, meteorologists, and wind energy engineers and GIS staff, development of preliminary visual simulations and impact analysis, wind turbine failure and safety setback analysis… Show more

Dr. Benito served as project manager for team carrying out the environmental and zoning constraint analysis for the siting, planning, and preliminary permitting of the proposed 100 MW Montezuma Zephyr wind energy project. Responsibilities included coordination between the project developer, the County, project biologists, meteorologists, and wind energy engineers and GIS staff, development of preliminary visual simulations and impact analysis, wind turbine failure and safety setback analysis, developing alternate project layout scenarios, and preparing cost estimates and bids for additional technical and environmental studies required for project permitting, including shadow flicker and noise studies, and cultural resources assessments. Show less

During different phases of this multi-year project, Pascual had roles as project statistician, manager for GIS data integration, mapping, and analysis of environmental data, and groundwater modeler in support of site investigation and remediation of soil and groundwater at the 450 acre facility in Henderson, Nevada. The facility has been the site of industrial operations since 1942, producing manganese dioxide, sodium chlorate, various perchlorates, and boron. Dr. Benito oversaw statistical… Show more

During different phases of this multi-year project, Pascual had roles as project statistician, manager for GIS data integration, mapping, and analysis of environmental data, and groundwater modeler in support of site investigation and remediation of soil and groundwater at the 450 acre facility in Henderson, Nevada. The facility has been the site of industrial operations since 1942, producing manganese dioxide, sodium chlorate, various perchlorates, and boron. Dr. Benito oversaw statistical evaluations of soil chemical data for background comparisons of metals and radionuclides and J&E Soil Vapor Intrusion Modeling in support of soil remediation and human health risk assessment. Dr. Benito co-developed the 3D regional groundwater flow model used in support of the capture zone evaluation and optimization of the groundwater treatment system for the extensive perchlorate and hexavalent chromium plumes and continues to provide groundwater modeling and statistical data analysis support. As GIS manager Pascual oversaw GIS data integration and analysis in support of soil and groundwater characterization and remediation, as well as quality assurance & control during map production. Show less

As part of multi-disciplinary study looking at the environmental and economic impacts of industrial waste water discharge practices of the food processing industry in California’s Central Valley, Dr. Benito developed a 3-D regional groundwater flow and salinity transport model for the Northern San Joaquin River Basin. Work included development of integrated GIS database for hydrologic and environmental data to support the analysis. Pascual performed stochastic Monte-Carlo analysis to evaluate… Show more

As part of multi-disciplinary study looking at the environmental and economic impacts of industrial waste water discharge practices of the food processing industry in California’s Central Valley, Dr. Benito developed a 3-D regional groundwater flow and salinity transport model for the Northern San Joaquin River Basin. Work included development of integrated GIS database for hydrologic and environmental data to support the analysis. Pascual performed stochastic Monte-Carlo analysis to evaluate uncertainty in salinity plume migration due to spatial and geological variability. Dr. Benito also managed the large data collection effort of acquiring and digitizing three years worth of monthly and quarterly monitoring data reported to the Regional Water Quality Control Board from over 200 regulated facilities, providing web-based tools for data and document sharing and coordination between the project team, and provided technical presentations to the multi-stakeholder group of regulatory, industry, community, and professional representatives overseeing the study. Show less

This one year National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellowship partnered engineering graduate students with science and math teachers in local public middle schools and high schools. Fellows worked two to three days a week in the class room supporting STEM education and worked on development and implementation of hands-on learning modules tied into the California State standards for math and science curriculum. Fellows also taught and developed curricula in math and engineering with integrated… Show more

This one year National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellowship partnered engineering graduate students with science and math teachers in local public middle schools and high schools. Fellows worked two to three days a week in the class room supporting STEM education and worked on development and implementation of hands-on learning modules tied into the California State standards for math and science curriculum. Fellows also taught and developed curricula in math and engineering with integrated science concepts for a 6 week summer academy for 6th - 12th graders through the U.C. Berkeley Pre-Engineering Partnerships (PEP) program. Show less

As part of Department of Energy project to characterize pathways for contaminant transport in fractured rock aquifers Pascual analyzed cross-well air-injection tests in variably saturated, fractured basalt flows at Box Canyon Fracture Analog Test Site Site, Idaho. Analysis included steady-state and transient injection test analysis and development of 3D visualizations of cross-well connectivity, and other hydrogeologic and geophysical data.

Historical land use changes starting in the mid 1800’s led to channel entrenchment. Incision has caused the creek to abandon its original flood plain except for at very high flows, resulting in bank erosion and entrenchment, bank stability problems and degraded habitat. Proposal calls for creating a two-stage channel designed to reduce flood flows, improve and increase riparian habitat, reduce shear stresses and provide easier public access to the channel. The project team performed surveys of… Show more

Historical land use changes starting in the mid 1800’s led to channel entrenchment. Incision has caused the creek to abandon its original flood plain except for at very high flows, resulting in bank erosion and entrenchment, bank stability problems and degraded habitat. Proposal calls for creating a two-stage channel designed to reduce flood flows, improve and increase riparian habitat, reduce shear stresses and provide easier public access to the channel. The project team performed surveys of stream channel geomorphology and hydraulic modeling with the objective of simulating the flows in the project reach for both the pre- and post-project conditions. Field surveying and historic stream flow data were used as inputs to the 1-D numerical model, HEC-RAS (USACE), to design a two-stage channel to carry the Q1.5 in the first-stage and higher flows in the 2nd-stage. Show less

Dr. Benito developed multi-phase flow numerical modeling codes for investigating the effects of fluid density differences on non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL) and gas migration in porous media, using invasion percolation algorithms. Also performed Lattice-Boltzmann numerical modeling to measure absolute and relative permeabilities of “virtual” rock samples digitized using CT-scanning techniques.

Pascual oversaw development and deployment of web-based environmental information management system for online data collection, reporting, sharing and mapping in multi-stake holder hydrological monitoring project in support of the Sonoma Creek Basin Groundwater Management Plan. The system integrates hydrologic data collected by members of the basin stakeholder group with other online datasets maintained by the Department of Water Resources, and allows for on-the-fly presentation and… Show more

Pascual oversaw development and deployment of web-based environmental information management system for online data collection, reporting, sharing and mapping in multi-stake holder hydrological monitoring project in support of the Sonoma Creek Basin Groundwater Management Plan. The system integrates hydrologic data collected by members of the basin stakeholder group with other online datasets maintained by the Department of Water Resources, and allows for on-the-fly presentation and visualization of data maps and time series. Pascual worked with the groundwater basin stakeholder groups to determine database structures, data collection, and data reporting protocols to meet project data quality and data validation objectives. Provided training sessions and on-going technical support to system users. Show less

Under a grant from the California State Parks Foundation, this 34-acre restoration project was designed to increase the area of wetland habitat, provide public access to the shoreline, and create opportunities for recreation and environmental education in the urban setting of the Candlestick Point State Recreation Area. The project involves excavating and grading of over 200,000 cubic yards of fill materials historically placed at the margins of the San Francisco Bay. Dr. Benito is managing… Show more

Under a grant from the California State Parks Foundation, this 34-acre restoration project was designed to increase the area of wetland habitat, provide public access to the shoreline, and create opportunities for recreation and environmental education in the urban setting of the Candlestick Point State Recreation Area. The project involves excavating and grading of over 200,000 cubic yards of fill materials historically placed at the margins of the San Francisco Bay. Dr. Benito is managing the environmental data management and geospatial analysis support for the project team to help characterize the spatial distribution of soil chemical quality and facilitate the categorization and separation of on-site soil to be re-used as wetland cover material, upland cover material, general fill soil to remain on-site, or as heavily impacted soil that needs to be sent off-site. Show less