Step 3: Temporal Dynamics Pass (Facts)

Section Content:

Facts:
Engineer L, a licensed professional engineer, has many years of experience in stormwater control design.
Engineer L is contracted by Client X, a private development entity, to design a stormwater management system for a large residential and commercial development near a small community.
This community relies on a nearby surface water watershed as a primary drinking water source.
Part of Engineer L’s scope of work for Client X includes ensuring that stormwater from the new development will not impact this primary drinking water source for the community.
During the preliminary design phase, Engineer L becomes concerned that the risk of impact to the community drinking water source will potentially increase, as the likelihood of heavy stormwater flows will increase over time.
But before Engineer L can quantify the increased risk, Client X encounters unexpected financial setbacks and requests that Engineer L suspend work identified in the original contract.
In their communications about the suspension, Engineer L does not mention to Client X the potential increased risk of impact to the community drinking water source.
Several months later, Client X’s financial situation improves and Engineer L is asked to resume work on the stormwater management system.
About this same time, an historic heavy rainfall in the region leads to increased stormwater accumulation on-site, raising the risk of runoff into the watershed.
Engineer L conducts additional studies and qualitatively estimates the risk that heavy rainfall could lead to stormwater runoff from the development reaching the nearby watershed and community drinking water source.
Engineer L notifies Client X of this risk, advising that additional protective measures should be considered, especially as local environmental standards require steps to safeguard public water sources.
However, Client X is hesitant to invest in additional protective measures, citing continuing budget limitations.
Despite Engineer L’s concerns, Client X insists on proceeding without added safeguards, stating that Client X will address any compliance issues later, if needed.