PERIPHERAL VERSUS PERPENDICULAR GROUNDWATER MONITORING CONFIGURATIONS

A simulation model was used to evaluate alternative groundwater monito ring configurations for detecting landfill contamination. Using a wide range of downgradient contaminant source configurations, detection ef ficiency was calculated for peripheral and perpendicular monitoring ne tworks. In the peripheral configurations, each well was located 20 m f rom the downgradient boundary of the landfill. Welts in perpendicular configurations were collinear, the line located 20 m from the landfill 's hydraulically downgradient point(s). The perpendicular configuratio n consistently outperformed the conventional peripheral scheme. In mos t cases, the detection efficiency of a perpendicular configuration cou ld be increased by shifting wells toward the downgradient corner of th e landfill.