Initial Feasibility Assessment and Concept Design
An early-stage review of groundwater risk, outline control options, and regulatory requirements, giving you the information needed to make informed decisions on project viability and programme.
GROUNDWATER CONTROL AND DEWATERING
Leading Specialists in Groundwater Control Solutions for Complex, Site-Specific Challenges
Value Engineering
Full Regulatory Management
Full Programme Visibility
Early risk identification
Groundwater Management
Unmanaged groundwater on a construction site creates risks that can derail even well-planned projects.
Groundwater is one of the most disruptive and costly hazards on any below ground construction project. Without careful management, it can delay construction programmes and significantly increase costs.
OGI provides specialist groundwater management consultancy to help UK construction clients navigate that risk, from early feasibility through to project completion, enabling the delivery of a safe and environmentally compliant construction project.
What are the Risks?
Construction Hazards
Running sand, hydraulic heave, excavation flooding and uplift failure can quickly bring construction to a standstill, creating serious safety risks, programme disruption, costly delays and wider commercial consequences for your project.
Regulatory Complexity
Groundwater control activities are tightly regulated across the UK and delays in securing permits, abstraction licences or approvals from the Environment Agency, NRW or SEPA can significantly impact construction programmes.
Third-Party Risk
Dewatering operations can affect neighbouring groundwater abstractions and cause settlement or nearby sensitive structures. Identifying and managing these risks early is essential to avoid costly obligations later in the project.
How We Work
Providing a phased groundwater management service, with flexibility to support your project at any stage of your programme.
The greatest value is added when OGI is brought in early, ideally before ground investigation begins, allowing us to define the groundwater control and regulatory strategy from the outset. This avoids costly redesigns and regulatory delays that arise when groundwater is treated as an afterthought.
Early engagement allows OGI to set the overall groundwater control and regulatory strategy for your project, giving you clarity on costs, programme and compliance requirements before construction begins.
Our designs are developed using industry-recognised guidance and groundwater modelling techniques, and are produced as contractor-ready specifications that can be comparatively priced by specialist dewatering contractors – giving you full cost transparency and confidence in value for money.
Our Groundwater Control Services
2
Site Investigation
Where required, we scope and manage targeted ground investigation (e.g. test pumping) to characterise groundwater conditions and inform detailed design.
3
Regulatory Applications
We manage all regulatory requirements on your behalf, including RPS368 notifications, abstraction licence applications and environmental permit applications. We work with all UK environmental regulators to act as your agent throughout.
4
Groundwater Control Design
Independent, contractor-ready design packages that enable competitive tendering across the UK's specialist dewatering contractors. See below for more detail.
5
Construction Stage Support and Performance Monitoring
On-site technical support and groundwater monitoring throughout the construction programme, ensuring systems perform as designed and any emerging risks are identified early.
Groundwater Control and Design
As an independent consultancy with no commercial interest in any particular system or contractor, OGI designs groundwater control solutions that are technically robust and commercially competitive.
Our designs use recognised guidance and groundwater modelling techniques, and are produced as contractor-ready specifications — giving you cost transparency and confidence in value for money.
We design across the full range of dewatering and pressure relief systems:
Key Outputs
Preliminary Groundwater Control Assessment Report
An early-stage summary of groundwater risks, outline control options, and the groundwater control and regulatory strategy. It also supports informed project decision-making and budget planning.
Groundwater Control Specifications
Contractor-ready technical drawings defining all system requirements in detail, enabling competitive tendering and ensuring all specialist dewatering contractors price on a consistent, like-for-like basis.
Groundwater Control Strategy Report
A comprehensive document setting out the groundwater control design, suitable as a reference throughout the project.
See our Projects
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