David W. Miller, cofounder of the groundwater consulting partnership Geraghty & Miller Inc., passed away on March 7 in Brewster, Massachusetts. He was 95.
Miller founded the consulting firm with James J. Geraghty in 1957. The company focused on water supply development early on but grew to provide consulting services on water supply management to municipalities, industries, and government agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
A key turning point for Miller came in 1977 when he was principal author of the definitive Report to Congress: Waste Disposal Practices and their Impact on Ground Water, which, along with testimony before Congress, helped usher in the era of groundwater remediation. Geraghty & Miller then broadened its practice to groundwater contamination assessment and remediation.
The company went public in 1988 and grew international with its merger with Dutch engineering firm Heidemij in 1993, later renamed Arcadis. Arcadis now has offices and thousands of employees around the world.
Miller was an active volunteer for NGWA for years, attending and speaking at several events and served on the Association of Ground Water Scientists and Engineers Board of Directors (now called NGWA's Scientists and Engineers Section Board) from 1981-1985, serving as the board chair in 1983.
He was recognized by NGWA in 1979 with the M. King Hubbert Award, which is presented to a person who has made major science or engineering contributions to the groundwater industry through research, technical papers, teaching, and practical applications.
He was also honored with the NGWA Life Member Award in 1996 given to a member who has contributed a special service in the furtherance of the groundwater industry or to NGWA.
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