Andrea Brookfield

Andrea Brookfield is an associate professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the director of the Collaborative Water Program. Her interests include the development and use of efficient yet effective numerical tools for water resource management. Primarily, she studies the use of hydrological and statistical models to simulate and understand flow and contaminant transport, for prediction, management, and process investigation.

Brookfield’s research emphasizes the integration of natural and engineered systems, and their connections to other disciplines, seeking to balance competing water demands such as energy and agricultural production and urban development, to maintain economic, social and environmental stability. She develops, integrates and uses a wide variety of tools, ranging from computationally demanding, fully integrated, physically based surface/subsurface hydrological models and multi-component reactive transport models, to computationally frugal analytical solutions and statistical approaches. Her research goals stem from an interest in developing tools for water resource management and planning and closing the gap between cutting-edge scientific tools and those utilized by resource managers, industry, and other stakeholders.

Brookfield focuses on water availability and movement across agricultural and urban environments, using numerical and statistical models at both large and small scales, from provincial systems and cities to individual farms. Her work informs decisions about irrigation, water use and long‑term sustainability, by providing insights into how much water is available, how it is changing and where reductions or expansion may be needed. She also develops both advanced models and accessible tools that help people understand water systems and support decisions about water use, management, and planning.

• Integrated hydrology of the surface and subsurface

• Hydrological modelling

• Water resource management

• Contaminant transport

• Climate change and geosciences

• Increasingly complex water challenges

• Sustainable water use and management

• Climate extremes and food production

• Protection of surface and groundwater resources

• Legacies of agriculture pollutants

• Protection of drinking water

• 2009, Doctorate Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2003, Master of Science Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2000, Bachelor of Applied Science Civil (Environmental) Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2024, Outstanding Performance Award, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo

• 2023, Fellow, Geological Society of America

• 2023, Jane Lang Excellence in Earth and Environmental Sciences Teaching Award

• 2009, University of Waterloo Ph.D. Completion Award

• 2005 – 2006, Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology - Geomatrix Consultants

• 2003 – 2005, Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Post-Graduate Scholarship B

• 2003 – 2005, University of Waterloo Graduate Incentive Award

• 2003 – 2004, University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarship

• 2002, University of Waterloo Acid Rain Scholarship

• 2000 – 2002, NSERC Post-Graduate Scholarship A

• 2000 – 2001, University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarship

• 2001, Provost's Graduate Women's Incentive Fund Scholarship

• 2000, Sir Sandford Fleming Foundation Co-Op Proficiency Medal

• 1999, Faculty of Engineering Upper Year Scholarship

• 1997, Sir Sandford Fleming Award for Most Outstanding Work Report

• 2025 – Present, Hydrological Processes, Associate Editor

• 2025 – Present, Journal of Water Management Modelling, Associate Editor

• 2025 – Present, Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation, Associate Editor

• 2023 – 2025, Women in Engineering, Career Mentorship Program, Mentor

• 2021 – 2024, Geological Society of America, Hydrogeology Division, Nominating Committee Member

• 2021 – 2022, Geological Society of America, Hydrogeology Division, Past Chair

• 2020 – 2021, Geological Society of America, Hydrogeology Division Chair

• 2020 – 2025, Journal of Hydrology, Associate Editor

• 2018 – 2020, Geological Society of America, Hydrogeology Division, Vice Chair

• 2017 – 2019, Geological Society of America, Hydrogeology Division, Student Mentor

• 2017, Douglas County Water Festival Volunteer

• 2011 – Present, Groundwater Journal, Associate Editor

• 2009 – 2018, Geological Society of America, Hydrogeology Division, Newsletter Editor

• P. Eng (registered with PEO)

• Geological Society of America (Fellow and Member)

• American Geophysical Union (Member)

• International Association of Hydrogeologists (Member)

• Association for Women Geoscientists

• Water Institute (Member)

• EARTH 123 - Introductory Hydrology
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• EARTH 355 - Water: Data to Decisions
  • Taught in 2024, 2025, 2026
• EARTH 491 - Special Topics in Earth and Environmental Sciences
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2025
• EARTH 651 - Advanced Groundwater Modelling
  • Taught in 2022, 2024, 2026

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

• For the full list of Andrea Brookfield's publications, please see Google Scholar.

• Bosompemaa, P., Brookfield, A.E., Zipper, S., and Hill , M.C., (2025). Using a national hydrologic model to obtain regional water supply estimates in a heavily-stressed basin. Environmental Modelling and Software. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2024.106234

• Brookfield, A.E., Ajami, H., Carroll, R.W.H., Tague, N., Sullivan, P.L., and Condon, L., 2023. Advances in Integrated Hydrologic Models: Integration of New Domains. Journal of Hydrology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.129515

• Brookfield, A.E., Zipper, S., Kendall, A.D., Ajami, H., and Deines, J.M., 2023. Estimating groundwater pumping for irrigation – A method comparison. Groundwater. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.13336

• Murray, J., Ayers, J.R., and Brookfield, A.E., 2023. The impact of climate change on monthly baseflow trends in Canada. Journal of Hydrology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.129254

• Brookfield, A.E., Hansen, A., Sullivan, P.L., Czuba, J., Kirk, M.F., Li, L., Newcomer, M., and Wilkenson, G. 2021. Predicting algal blooms: Are we overlooking groundwater? Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144442.