HGL is a prominent based environmental engineering and water resource services firm, headquartered in Virginia, USA. In addition to offices in the United States and Canada, HGL has affiliate offices in Khon Kaen, Thailand and Salvador, Brazil .

HGL is among the 200 US environmental engineering firms as determined by the Engineering News Record (ENR). HGL specializes in technical solutions to water resources assessment and management problems. The firm's expertise includes regional groundwater flow modeling, saltwater intrusion analysis, integrated groundwater – surface water assessment, conjunctive use, water quality assessment and contaminant fate and transport modeling, source water protection, watershed studies and development of natural resource management plans. For example, four of the five water management districts in the State of Florida use models developed by HGL to address saltwater intrusion, impacts of groundwater pumping on stream-flows and other impacts, for long-term water supply planning and permitting. HGL's governmental clients include the Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service, the Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency.

As an organization founded by a native of Thailand, who is an internationally recognized water resources modeling expert, Dr. Peter Huyakorn, HGL has a strong international outlook and experience. Recent and current work includes projects in Brazil, Jordan, China, Taiwan, and Korea. As a recognized leader in its field of expertise, HGL is often sought out to provide technology transfer and training services to overseas organizations and typically works in collaboration with both governmental and private sector partners in the host country.

Illustrative water resource management global projects

Groundwater Management System Improvement Project, Thailand. Overexploitation of groundwater has led to environmental problems in many areas of Thailand, especially urbanized areas such as Bangkok, Chiangma, and Songkhla. Since 1999, HGL has conducted a number of projects in Thailand to assist in the development and improvement of a national groundwater management system, aimed at building technical expertise and practices to ensure efficient and sustainable groundwater use. HGL has worked under the auspices of the Thai Ministries of Science and Environment, and University Affairs. Specific projects have involved providing training to Thai professionals and academics in the areas of water resources investigation, and restoration using techniques of hydrogeologic analysis, risk assessment, and geographic information systems. HGL has collaborated with Khon Kaen University in northeastern Thailand on a number of water resources and environmental investigation projects. HGL personnel have been providing expert consultations to several of Thai government agencies, including Department of Energy Promotion, Department of Groundwater Resources, and Environmental Research and Training Centre. Recently, HGL's President, Dr. Peter Huyakorn made a presentation to the Royal Privy Council members and representatives from a number of Thai government agencies on new technologies that may be applicable to the Royal Initiative Projects related to water and coastal resources such as underground dams, and national flood control systems.

Environmental Restoration Support, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Brazil. In the past 3 years, HGL has completed multiple development projects in Brazil, with governmental as well as commercial funding. Funded through the Canada-Brazil development program, HGL developed and taught a technical workshop at the Centro de Tecnolgia Mineral, Rio de Janeiro, on environmental degradation associated with acid mine drainage. The seminar covered the fundamentals of pollutant fate and transport, and exposure and risk assessment. In collaboration with CETREL, SA, a private-sector engineering and environmental organization based in Salvador, Brazil, HGL has worked on projects related to groundwater protection and restoration at the Cama Hari petrochemical complex in north-east Brazil, and an area impacted by metal smelting in Rio de Janeiro. The Cama Hari complex is one of the largest petrochemical/industrial complexes in Latin America. HGL staff have made extended site visits and worked closely with their Brazilian counterparts to assess the extent of groundwater pollution and devise and implement effective restoration and groundwater protection strategies, including the use of groundwater modeling. HGL has also organized and hosted visits by Brazilian personnel to the United States for training and technology transfer related to groundwater monitoring and remediation technologies.

Hydrologic Modeling of Petra, Jordan World Heritage Site. HGL developed a hydrologic simulation model and performed flood modeling of the Petra archeological site in Jordan, in order to help understand, visualize, and mitigate flood damage and erosion caused by periodic high intensity rainstorms. As a United Nations World Heritage site, Petra is a major tourist attraction in what has become one of Jordan 's major growth industries, and preservation of the area is both a cultural and economic imperative. As tourism's contribution to Jordan's national economy increases, it will become even more vital to ensure that historical sites such as Petra are preserved to a high standard. Working with Mr. Douglas Comer, director of the development of the Petra National Park as a world heritage site for the International Council on Monuments and Sites (US/ICOMOS), HGL developed a hydrological model of Petra and its surrounding area. HGL also developed a computer animation of a January 2004 flash flood which caused extensive damage to Petra. The animation was incorporated into the Petra – Lost City of Stone traveling museum exhibition which is currently touring the United States and Canada .

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