Water, Wastewater, Hydraulic & Forensic Engineering

Standard of Care Expert Witness

When a claim turns on whether an engineer, contractor, operator or utility met the standard of care, the opinion has to rest on how the profession actually works. John Shaw, PE has spent 38 years in the water and wastewater utility industry across design, planning, construction, operations and maintenance, safety, regulatory compliance and governance.

What a standard of care review covers

• Design: whether the engineering followed accepted practice, codes and published standards of the time
• Construction and contract management: inspection, submittal review, testing and acceptance
• Operations and maintenance: whether a utility's programs, procedures and staffing met industry practice
• Industry standards: how documents such as AWWA and WEF manuals apply to the facts

Published in the field

John is a co-author of the WEF Manual of Practice No. 11, Operation of Water Resource Recovery Facilities (7th ed., 2016), and of WEF and ASCE technical publications on lift stations, pump stations and force mains, and gravity sanitary sewer design.

He has also spent time learning the legal side of expert work, including the difference between a consulting expert and a testifying expert and what each means in discovery.

Call 530-550-1576 or email John@shaweng.com.

Consulting Civil Engineer including design, forensics, planning, construction, operations, and maintenance and management specific to the water and wastewater utility industry.