As organizations face increasingly complex environmental challenges involving PFAS, microplastics, water quality, and product liability, Dr. Rackl brings more than two decades of experience helping clients investigate these issues, identify root causes, and navigate evolving regulatory requirements.
Secretariat is pleased to welcome Dr. Sarahann Rackl, an industry-leading expert in chemical and microbial contamination, as a Managing Director to our growing Engineering Sciences practice. Dr. Rackl brings more than two decades of experience in applying her civil and environmental engineering expertise to help clients navigate complex environmental issues including per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and microplastics, microbial contamination, product liability, and product stewardship.
Dr. Rackl frequently leads complex, multidisciplinary investigations to conduct root cause analyses and identify the sources of microbial and chemical contamination in engineered systems and environments. Often, her analyses involve examinations into the source of PFAS, other chemicals of concern, or Legionella and other waterborne pathogens, helping organizations understand root causes of contamination, assess risks, and develop practical, sustainable solutions.
For nearly a decade, a significant portion of Dr. Rackl’s work has focused on PFAS. She has supported clients in understanding and responding to evolving federal and state regulations regarding PFAS, microplastics, 1,4-dioxane, bisphenols, metals, and other chemicals of concern. Her experience includes PFAS source assessment, manufacturing root-cause analysis, water and industrial wastewater treatment, assessment of analytical chemistry data, and evaluation of potential PFAS releases following industrial fires and explosions.
In addition to her work involving PFAS and chemical contamination, Dr. Rackl has extensive experience investigating complex microbial contamination matters involving critical emerging opportunistic microbial pathogens such as Legionella, Mycobacterium (Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC)), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Her work spans drinking water distribution and storage infrastructure, large building plumbing systems, and manufacturing operations. Her microbial contamination expertise focuses on helping clients assess contamination risks, identify root causes, evaluate remediation strategies, and address operational and regulatory concerns.
Dr. Rackl also extends her contamination expertise to product liability, product stewardship, and compliance matters. As organizations navigate an increasingly complex landscape of federal and state chemicals-of-concern regulations beyond California’s Proposition 65, Dr. Rackl helps clients address the challenges of these nuanced regulations and stay ahead of the rapidly changing environment by developing sustainable product stewardship programs and evaluating contamination risks across product lines, manufacturing operations, and supply chains. Her experience includes supporting matters involving PFAS-related false advertising claims, Proposition 65 claims, and other product-related matters that often require critical evaluation of analytical chemistry data.
“Our clients are facing growing challenges around PFAS, microbial contamination, and product liability,” said Managing Director Eric Guyer. “Sarahann has a remarkable ability to get to the root cause of these issues and help clients make sense of complex scientific and regulatory issues. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the team.”
Before joining Secretariat, Dr. Rackl served as a Principal Engineer at a multinational engineering and scientific consulting firm, where she advised clients across a broad range of environmental, water quality, product stewardship, and regulatory matters. Throughout her career, she has built a reputation for helping organizations solve complex scientific and engineering challenges while effectively communicating technical issues to regulators, legal counsel, business leaders, and other stakeholders.
Dr. Rackl earned her PhD and MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder and her BS in Biology from the College of William & Mary. She is a licensed Professional Engineer and an active member of the American Water Works Association.