Sierra Environmental Monitoring was established in 1974 as a DBA of William F. Pillsbury, Inc. Consulting Civil Engineers with one full time employee. Initially the laboratory emphasized water quality analysis for support of operations at the Tahoe Keys surface water treatment facility at South Lake Tahoe and for support of water and wastewater facilities plans being designed by the parent engineering company. A second full time employee was added in 1975. Gradually the laboratory acquired additional business, principally servicing NPDES discharge permits for industry and publicly owned treatment facilities. As more business developed from Nevada, the laboratory was moved to Reno, Nevada in 1979. Additional business was acquired through engineering and hydrological consultants with concomitant increases in staff and equipment.