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Forensic Investigations and Litigation
WWM has a long history of offering special services for forensic investigations and for litigation in support of construction project claims. Forensic investigations often include identification of the causes of hydraulic anomalies such as water hammer, vibration chattering, unwanted siphoning and cavitation and then develops corrective action plans to mitigate the problems. Forensic investigations also may include the identifying the reasons for pipe, pump or system failures, the causes of biological die off in treatment plants including identification of the causative agents of harm, predicting the results and consequences of introducing industrial wastes into domestic systems and predicting the rates of component deterioration.
WWM and its principal David Rigby also has a long history of serving as an expert witness for the investigation and then testimony relating to engineering, construction and operations claims for all manners of water and wastewater problems. Notably, Mr. Rigby acted as the investigative and testifying expert witness on behalf of the South Carolina Department of Wildlife and Marine Resources on a major fish kill along seventeen miles of the Saluda River against the municipality, contractor and engineer responsible for allowing sludge to accumulate in a tributary to the river and against another State agency which had data available to it to have averted the problem and then failed to act to protect the river fishery resources. In another notable case Mr. Rigby defended a tannery against suits filed by the EPA and the State of Kentucky alleging violations to the Clean Water Act. In another instance Mr. Rigby acted as an expert in two cases brought by the private utility against the State of Indiana for failure to recognize expanded plant capacities because it had been using an outdated review manual that didn’t include currently recognized pollution control technology applications and procedures as being valid. Recently, Mr. Rigby served as an expert on behalf of a developer who had relied on an engineer to design and build a wastewater treatment plant to serve his project in Huntsville AL. Upon start up the treatment plant failed to function properly and produce an effluent which met the permit discharge limits, consequently a judgment was levied against the engineer.