More than 80 hydrology experts met for a workshop hosted by the Department of Hydrologic Sciences discussing the latest information on water balance covers for landfills and mine waste at the Desert Research Institute on November 1. The workshop was instructed by Bill Albright, Ph.D., a research hydrogeologist at DRI, and Rob Valceschini, P.E., a principle and senior engineer from Applied Soil Water Technologies. The full day of instruction covered a range of topics regarding the design, evaluation and regulatory approval of water balance covers. These covers are used as an alternative to more conventional means of containment for waste and contaminated sites, as they are more effective and efficient, especially in arid climates, according to “Water Balance Covers for Waste Containment,” which was co-written by Albright. The workshop was funded by grants from the Nevada Mining Association and the Great Basin chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America.