Three-dimensional analysis of the capture of contaminated leachate by fully penetrating, partially penetrating, and horizontal wells

The capture of a contaminated leachate by wells is examined for a fully pen etrating well, a partially penetrating well, series of partially penetratin g wells, and a horizontal well. The capture zones for these wells are illus trated in figures. Charts are used to analyze the minimum pumping rates req uired to capture a contaminated leachate over a range of aquifer parameters . It is shown that fully penetrating and partially penetrating wells have t he same minimum pumping rates when the ratio of the aquifer thickness to th e size of the contaminated region is <0.2; when this ratio is >0.5, a parti ally penetrating well has a much lower pumping rate. A horizontal well that is oriented perpendicularly to flow has the lowest pumping rate; this well can capture a contaminant with a pumping rate of similar to 1.5-2 times th e contaminated discharge.