Walter Illman

Walter Illman specializes in groundwater hydrology, both in the saturated and unsaturated zones.

He uses mathematical modeling, laboratory and field experiments to understand contaminant transport and natural degradation of organic contaminants in groundwater.

• Mathematical modeling (analytical and numerical) of fluid flow and contaminant transport in groundwater
• Laboratory and field experiments on contaminant transport in porous and fractured geologic media
• Behaviour of contaminants in groundwater, such as Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPL), bioremediation and natural attenuation of organic contaminants
• Threats to Aquatic Ecosystems and their Interaction
• Contamination & Remediation: Water, Soil, Air
• Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage
• Geohazards: Risks and Prevention
• Climate Change and Geosciences
• Renewable Energy
• Increasingly Complex Water Challenges
• Protection of Surface and Groundwater Resources
• Sustainable Water Use and Management
• Legacies of Agriculture Pollutants
• Water Security in Mega Cities
• Protection of Drinking Water from the Ravages of Climate Change

Laboratory and field experimental investigations of fluid flow and solute (contaminant) transport in porous and fractured geologic media Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) source zone and plume characterization and monitoring Geostatistical (stochastic) inverse modeling of pumping and tracer test data Mathematical modeling (analytical and numerical) of fluid flow and contaminant transport Unsaturated zone hydrology Performance assessment of bioremediation and natural attenuation of organic contaminants

• 1999 PhD University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
• 1994 BSc (Honours) University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

• 2003 Outstanding Paper of the Conference, International Symposium on Groundwater Problems Related to Geo-Environment, May 28–30, 2003 Okayama, Japan.
• 2002 American Geophysical Union Editors’ Citation for Excellence in Refereeing
• 1998 John and Margaret Harshbarger Doctoral Fellow in Hydrology and Water Resources; $10,000 (Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, The University of Arizona; one selected annually)
• 1997 Graduate College Fellowship; $10,000 (The University of Arizona)
• 1997 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Horton Doctoral Research Grant; $10,500 (one of two selected nationally)
• 1994 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Trainee; $27,500 (Environmental Hydrology)

• Member, The Water Institute

• EARTH 458 - Physical Hydrogeology
  • Taught in 2024
• EARTH 650 - Physical Processes in Groundwater Systems
  • Taught in 2024

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Please see Walter Illman's Google Scholar profile for a current list of his peer-reviewed articles.