Services
Seven Verticals, One Platform
The same passive sensor network and analysis platform serves seven distinct markets — each with unique problems that our technology is uniquely positioned to solve.
Aquifer Monitoring
Know what your aquifer is doing — continuously
Traditional observation wells provide periodic, single-point measurements that miss spatial variations, seasonal dynamics, and early warning signs of depletion or contamination.
PWI sensor networks deliver continuous water table tracking across your entire basin. We map aquifer connectivity, detect recharge pathways, classify water types (fresh to saturated brine), and identify lithium brine indicators.
Key Benefits
- Continuous water table monitoring without drilling
- Spatial connectivity mapping between wells
- Water type classification and TDS estimation
- Lithium brine detection and concentration estimates
- Contaminant risk proxy mapping
- SGMA compliance support
Field Validation
CA Water Project — Identified aquifer at 160m depth, classified 32 brine zones, detected 3 lithium indicators across 36 sensors.
Dam & Levee Safety Monitoring
Detect seepage and internal erosion before failure — dams, levees, and flood control structures
The US has 92,000+ dams averaging 64 years old, with 2,522 in poor or unsatisfactory condition. Levee systems protect $1.3 trillion in property. Traditional monitoring relies on periodic visual inspections and isolated piezometers that miss internal erosion — the #1 cause of dam and levee failure — because it happens between instrumentation points.
Our passive sensor arrays detect density changes caused by seepage, internal erosion, and piping across the entire structure in real time. We map seepage pathways through embankments and foundations, identify zones of progressive weakening, monitor pore pressure distribution volumetrically (not point-by-point), and provide months of advance warning before visible distress appears. Applicable to earth-fill dams, concrete dams, levees, flood walls, and canal embankments.
Key Benefits
- Continuous seepage pathway detection through entire dam or levee body
- Internal erosion and piping risk assessment
- Pore pressure distribution mapping (volumetric, not point samples)
- Levee system monitoring across miles of embankment
- No penetration of the dam or levee structure required
- 10-50x lower cost than traditional instrumentation arrays
- Automated alert thresholds with intervention guidance
- Post-flood levee integrity assessment without physical inspection
Field Validation
Technology validated across 12 surveys demonstrating subsurface density change detection at 5-200m depth. Seismic velocity profiling independently confirmed structural layers, cap rock, and fluid zones — directly applicable to embankment monitoring for dams and levees.
Tailings Dam Structural Integrity
Monitor what’s happening inside the dam — from foundation to crest
Tailings dams are fundamentally different from conventional dams. They’re built from the mine’s own sandy waste material — coarse sand shells, fine silt cores, and ultra-fine slimes that can liquefy under excess pore pressure. Failures occur 120x more often than conventional dams. Brumadinho (2019): 270 killed with 12 seconds of warning. Mount Polley (2014): 25M m³ released. The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) now requires continuous monitoring, but piezometers only measure single points inside a structure that can be hundreds of meters wide.
PWI provides volumetric monitoring of the entire tailings dam body. We track the phreatic surface — the water level inside the dam that controls stability — continuously in 3D. We map pore pressure distribution through all material zones: the competent coarse sand shell, the weak fine tailings core, and the liquefiable slimes layer. When pore pressure ratios (Ru) approach critical thresholds, we detect it across the full dam volume, not just at isolated piezometer points. Seepage path concentration (piping) triggers alerts months before visible symptoms.
Key Benefits
- Continuous phreatic surface tracking in 3D (not point piezometers)
- Material zone differentiation: shell vs core vs slimes behavior
- Pore pressure ratio (Ru) monitoring across full dam volume
- Liquefaction risk detection in fine tailings and slimes zones
- Piping and internal erosion early warning (months, not seconds)
- GISTM compliance for international operating standards
- Foundation stability monitoring beneath the dam
- Post-closure long-term monitoring (decades)
Field Validation
Our seismic velocity profiling differentiates material zones by density and shear strength. Across 12 surveys, we resolve structural layers from surface to 8+ km depth — tailings dams (typically 30-150m) are well within our proven resolution range. Pore pressure sensitivity validated against known fluid zones.
Mine Water Management
Map fault-controlled water flow and optimize dewatering
Water inrush is one of the deadliest mining hazards. Faults act as conduits, channeling groundwater along fractured rock into open pits and underground workings — a single fault can deliver 10-100x more water than intact rock. Current piezometer networks provide point measurements that miss the spatial connectivity between faults, aquifers, and mine faces.
PWI maps subsurface fault geometry and water pathways before excavation reaches them. We track the water table in 3D as dewatering pumps operate, identify preferential flow paths along fault intersections, and predict where water will enter the pit or workings. Engineers can optimize pump placement and capacity based on real-time subsurface intelligence rather than reactive guesswork.
Key Benefits
- Fault zone mapping before excavation encounters them
- Preferential flow path identification along fault intersections
- Real-time 3D water table monitoring during dewatering
- Dewatering pump placement and capacity optimization
- Slope stability monitoring via pore pressure tracking
- Mine closure and post-closure water management
- Subsidence detection and void tracking
- Seasonal water table variation monitoring
Field Validation
Multi-survey validation: Seismic velocity profiling detected fault zones at 341m, 470m, and 487m depth correlating with known mineralized structures. Cross-project seismic at 130+ km range achieved 97.5% success rate mapping regional groundwater connectivity.
Geothermal Reservoir Monitoring
Track reservoir pressure, thermal drawdown, and fracture evolution
Geothermal operators need continuous reservoir monitoring to manage thermal drawdown, detect short-circuiting between injection and production wells, and comply with induced seismicity requirements.
PWI sensor arrays detect density changes from thermal expansion/contraction, map fracture network evolution, identify fluid circulation pathways, and provide seismic monitoring — all from surface-deployed passive sensors.
Key Benefits
- Reservoir pressure and thermal drawdown tracking
- Fracture network evolution mapping
- Induced seismicity risk monitoring
- Fluid circulation pathway detection
- Short-circuit verification between wells
- Surface deployment — no well intervention needed
Field Validation
Baker Hot Springs — Gravity detected salt dome at 1,165m; independent seismic confirmed cap rock at 839m with four-layer velocity structure. Geothermal conduit zone mapped at 598-781m.
Environmental Contamination
Track contaminant plumes without drilling
Contamination events require rapid assessment of plume extent and migration direction. Traditional methods require new monitoring wells ($200K+) and take months to characterize — by which time the plume has moved.
PWI maps subsurface density contrasts caused by contaminant plumes, identifies preferential flow pathways (fault zones, paleochannels, karst), and monitors plume migration continuously without additional drilling.
Key Benefits
- Contaminant plume extent mapping
- Migration pathway identification
- Fault and fracture zone detection (transport corridors)
- Long-term remediation monitoring
- No new monitoring wells required
- PFAS, selenium, and heavy metal plume tracking
Field Validation
Technology proven across multiple geologic settings — Basin & Range, Permian Basin, Coast Ranges — detecting fluid-filled zones, fault conduits, and density contrasts at all relevant depths.
Fault Mapping & Structural Analysis
Map subsurface structure without seismic crews
Structural geological mapping typically requires expensive active seismic surveys, which need permits, vibroseis trucks, and months of processing. Many sites can not accommodate active seismic operations.
PWI extracts structural information from passive sensors: fault zone detection via gradient tensor analysis, basement depth from HVSR resonance, fracture intensity from seismic velocity profiles, and structural orientation from polarization analysis.
Key Benefits
- Fault zone detection and characterization
- Basement depth estimation
- Fracture intensity mapping
- Structural trend and strike determination
- Domain boundary identification
- No active seismic source or permits needed
Field Validation
Winnemucca — Detected 20 veins and 626 domain boundaries. Alternating competent/fractured rock from 161-492m correlates precisely with known mineralized fault zones.
Which service fits your needs?
Tell us about your site and we'll recommend a monitoring approach.
Schedule a Consultation