Assimilative capacity studies determine the maximum concentration in various contaminants that an effluent can have before it is released in a water body, without impacting wildlife.  The Canadian Water Quality Guidelines and CCME guidelines are used as a reference for such calculations.

NATECH has developed techniques to perform mixing zone delineations

(evaluate the spread and dilution of effluent plumes for any size of water body)

in the field, coupled with computer models to predict plume behaviour in

low-flow situations.  A benign dye is used to record effluent dilutions

in the field. 

The dye can be detected in river and ocean water in concentrations as low as

1:1,000,000,000 (one to one billion) dilution. This cost effective methodology in also

used to measure flows, infiltration, leakage, contamination, groundwater migration,

residence times, short circuiting in pipes, tanks and open water bodies.