Contact James Chaplick

Mr. Chaplick has over 30 years of engineering design and project management experience. His experience includes designing industrial wastewater treatment systems, air pollution control systems, and utility systems such as boilers, chillers, and high-purity water treatment systems. These projects have encompassed all phases of capital project delivery including planning; bench- and pilot-scale testing; conceptual, preliminary and final design; construction; start-up; troubleshooting; and operations and maintenance. His technical expertise in wastewater treatment technologies includes physical-chemical treatment systems such as ion exchange, UV and membrane technologies, carbon absorption, and a variety of aerobic and anaerobic biological treatment technologies. He has managed the design and construction of wastewater treatment systems for the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, chemical, pulp and paper, metal forming/plating, power generation and textile industries.

Why I Do What I Do
“As an engineer working in industrial wastewater treatment, I have the opportunity to solve complex problems for a wide range of clients. Applying my knowledge of wastewater treatment in so many different ways is gratifying because I know that I’m not only helping a client meet their business goal, but also helping them reduce their impact on the environment and the community in which they do business.”

Why I Work at Woodard & Curran 
"At Woodard & Curran, I have the opportunity to work with Fortune 500 companies at sites throughout the US and in Europe and Asia. The wide variety of treatment issues our team addresses always makes the work challenging, and keeps the team fresh and excited about our projects."

Project Highlights

Wastewater Treatment System Design
ALZA Corporation, Vacaville, CA
When this pharmaceutical company’s manufacturing facility could not meet permit limits, it turned to Woodard & Curran to implement a treatability testing program and subsequently to design a 30,000-GPD tertiary industrial wastewater treatment plant. The plant utilizes a membrane bioreactor and advanced oxidation treatment (AOT), to destroy active pharmaceutical ingredients prior to discharging into the environment. This is the first pharmaceutical facility in the U.S. to use AOT in its wastewater treatment system.

Treatment System Expansion Design, Build& Start-up
Confidential Manufacturing Client, Bangkok, Thailand
This manufacturing plant in Bangkok, Thailand was looking to expand its existing wastewater treatment plant to accommodate its rapidly growing business. Woodard & Curran was hired to evaluate the existing system, screen alternative upgrade options, and provide conceptual and preliminary design of the suggested and selected option. Following this phase, Woodard & Curran teamed with a Bangkok construction firm to win the design-build phase of the project. We completed detailed designs, provided engineering support during construction, and helped with commissioning, start-up, and operator training when the facility was complete.

Treatment System Design, Build, & Start-up
Confidenfial Resort and Casino Establishment, CA
Business at this resort and casino was so good that the resort decided to expand its facilities, which required expanding its wastewater treatment plant as well. Woodard & Curran teamed with a local contractor to win the design/build/start-up project. The project consisted of converting sequencing batch reactors into a membrane bioreactor plant with biological nutrient removal. Woodard & Curran provided the detailed design drawings, and assisted in the commissioning, start-up, and operator training on this $5.5-million project.