John J. Ward, RG, Groundwater Consultant

I have been qualified as an expert witness. While only a minor portion of my work is involved in expert testimony, I approach every project assuming that the results of my work may be used in a court or administrative proceeding, that opposition will take the form of intense scrutiny of all my work, and only through strict attention to established protocols and scientific methods will my results be effective and my opinion valid.

EXPERT OPINIONS AND TESTIMONY

• Home Damage from Subsurface Water, Arizona:  Consulting expert for property owner on damage claim from leaking water pipes on historic adobe structures.  Constructed variably-saturated numerical model to test plausibility of moisture migration into soil and building footings; prepared expert report and trial exhibits. Landowner won damages at trial.
• Tribal Water Rights, New Mexico:  Testifying expert for federal client, Tribal Water Rights adjudication, Mescalero Apache Tribe. Modeled water rights claims, provided expert testimony at deposition and trial.
• Pueblo Water Rights, New Mexico:  Testifying expert for Pueblo water rights adjudication. Prepared expert rebuttal, review of other expert reports, provided expert testimony at deposition. Ongoing.
• Tribal Water Rights, Arizona:  Testifying expert for Tribal water rights adjudication, Little Colorado River Basin. Modeled regional groundwater systems, prepared expert reports and rebuttals provided expert testimony at deposition and trial. Ongoing.
• Groundwater Contamination, Arizona:  Testifying expert for owner, septic tank permits and contamination. Modeled variably-saturated transport of septic leakage. Provided expert testimony in administrative hearing.  Settled.
• Differing Site Conditions, Hawaii:  Testifying expert for owner in construction dewatering differing site conditions case. Conducted site inspections, prepared expert and rebuttal reports, provided testimony at settlement negotiations.
• Floodplain Encroachment, Arizona:  Consulting expert for plaintiff’s attorneys in floodplain encroachment and stormwater contamination case. Analyzed stormwater drainage impacts, prepared expert report. Case settled.
• Differing Site Conditions, Arizona:  Testifying expert for claimant (contractor) on construction dewatering differing site conditions dispute, Arizona. Prepared expert report, affidavits, and rebuttals. Provided expert testimony at deposition. Settled.
• Land Degradation from Contamination, California:  Testifying expert for defendant, groundwater and soils contamination. Prepared expert report in support of Innocent Landowner Defense.  Ruled in favor of client.