ABSTRACT
Unfortunately, there exists a distrust of groundwater models in the environmental industry. Some professionals and regulators believe groundwater model results to be entirely nonunique, which means that results can easily be tweaked to fulll a preordained purpose while still satisfying a calibration standard. To a certain extent, the critics are correct. The hydrogeologist has tremendous in¡uence over model results and can sway things one way or another by modifying model input parameters that are difcult to trace. For this and other reasons, some professionals hired by parties with high-stakes agendas, such as winning lawsuits, may bend the limits of professional ethics and develop groundwater models that cannot be comprehended even by some practicing hydrogeologists.
