You have entered the website of the Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific (WERI) at the University of Guam. We are currently six faculty and five staff and our mission is to seek solutions through research, teaching and outreach programs, to issues and problems associated with the location, production, distribution and management of freshwater resources in Guam, the CNMI and the FSM.
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Dr. Leroy F. Heitz, Ph.D., P.E. Emeritus Prof. Engineering lheitz(weriguam)uguam.uog.edu?subject=Faculty - WeriGuam.org |
PhD. Civil Engineering, 1981 University of Idaho
M.S. Civil Engineering, 1975 University of Idaho
B.S. Civil Engineering, 1970 University of Idaho
Licensed Professional Civil Engineer
Territory of Guam (#621) State of Idaho(#3279) State of Arizona (#46518)
Certified master modeler for MWH Soft H2OMap Water and Haestad WaterCAD
Dr. Heitz's research interests include almost all aspects of water resources engineering as applied to finding, and wisely developing the water resources of the islands in the Western Pacific. His special expertise involves using Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques as applied to water resources related studies. Recent projects in this area include using U.S. census data to determine water demands for the water distribution system model of the water system operated by the Commonwealth Utility Corporation (CUC) in Saipan, Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands (CNMI). The water system model for the CUC system was developed earlier by Dr. Heitz and other WERI researchers in cooperation with the staff of the CUC. He recently carried out a study that used GIS techniques to determine the hydroelectric power potential on the streams of Pohnpei Island, Federated States of Micronesia. He and another WERI researcher are currently developing a GIS inventory of all components of the water system operated by the CUC in Saipan. He and one of his graduate students have recently developed a new approach to modeling groundwater recharge using surface hydrology modeling techniques. The computer programs developed for this project vastly improved the timing and quantity estimates for recharge to the Northern Guam Lens aquifer.
He is presently the data management specialist for the US Environmental Protection Agency funded study that is investigating the possibility of groundwater under the influence of surface water on Guam. His duties on this project include organizing field data on rainfall and well water quality, developing computer applications for analyzing and interpreting the data, and developing recommendations for the regulatory agencies.
Dr. Heitz is also still very active in the study of applications of direct rainwater catchment for various domestic and commercial uses. His modeling programs have been applied worldwide. In cooperation with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension service, he has recently adopted his modeling program for analyzing the effectiveness of using rainwater catchment systems for supplying irrigation water for landscaping in Arizona.
