Walter Illman

Dr. Walter A. Illman is Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences of the University of Waterloo where he studies hydrogeology and regularly teaches groundwater flow and solute transport in porous and fractured geologic media at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

He has over 30 years of academic and consulting experience in a wide range of hydrogeological problems worldwide, particularly in applying advanced computational models and high-resolution subsurface characterization techniques, as well as conducting innovative laboratory and field investigations to solve complex environmental and hydrologic problems.

Illman’s research interests include field and laboratory investigations of subsurface characterization methods in both porous and fractured geologic media, as well as surface water-groundwater interaction modelling of watersheds. He is considered one of the pioneers in developing hydraulic tomography, a subsurface characterization method to image heterogeneities of hydraulic conductivity and specific storage in both unconsolidated deposits and fractured rocks through inverse modelling and data integration.

Illman’s research involves improving site characterization, as obtaining accurate hydrogeologic parameters is essential for building reliable groundwater models used to support various decisions.

• 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

• Contamination & remediation: water, soil, air

• Carbon dioxide capture and storage

• Geohazards: risks and prevention

• Protection of surface and groundwater resources

• Sustainable water use and management

• Water security in mega cities

• Protection of drinking water from the ravages of climate change

• 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)

• American Geophysical Union (AGU)

• National Groundwater Association (NGWA)

• Geological Society of America (GSA)

• Professional Geoscientists Ontario (PGO)

• The Water Institute (Member)

• EARTH 439 - Flow and Transport Through Fractured Rocks
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
• EARTH 458 - Physical Hydrogeology
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• EARTH 650 - Physical Processes in Groundwater Systems
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• EARTH 658 - Flow and Transport in Fractured Rock
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026

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

• For the full list of Walter Illman's publications, please see Google Scholar.

• Sun, D., N. Luo, A. Vandenhoff, W. McCall, C. Wang, Z. Zhao, D. L. Rudolph, and W. A. Illman (2024), Evaluation of hydraulic conductivity estimates from various approaches with groundwater flow models, Groundwater, 62(3), 384-404. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.13348

• Zhao, Z., N. Luo, and W. A. Illman (2023), Geostatistical analysis of high-resolution hydraulic conductivity estimates from the hydraulic profiling tool and integration with hydraulic tomography at a highly heterogeneous field site, Journal of Hydrology, 617, 129060. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.129060

• Zhao, Z. and W. A. Illman (2018), Three-dimensional imaging of aquifer and aquitard heterogeneity via transient hydraulic tomography at a highly heterogeneous field site, Journal of Hydrology, 559, 392-410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.02.024

• Sudicky, E. A., W. A. Illman, I. K. Goltz, J. J. Adams, and R. G. McLaren (2010), Heterogeneity in hydraulic conductivity and its role on the macroscale transport of a solute plume: From measurements to a practical application of stochastic flow and transport theory, Water Resour. Res., 46, W01508, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008WR007558.

• Illman, W. A., X. Liu, S. Takeuchi, T. J. Yeh, K. Ando, and H. Saegusa (2009), Hydraulic tomography in fractured granite: Mizunami Underground Research site, Japan, Water Resour. Res., 45, W01406, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007WR006715.