Various numerical techniques have been developed and used to design waste r
epositories such as landfills, in order to reduce the impact of contaminati
on. However, even with good design, potential contamination such as groundw
ater contamination may still arise in the future due to unforseen circumsta
nces or negligence. Thus there is a need to seek efficient, cost-effective
and carefully designed remediation strategies for the cleanup of contaminat
ed groundwater. This paper presents a study of the remediation of a contami
nated aquifer of uniform thickness by multi-well systems, which include bot
h discharge wells and recharge wells. These investigations show that an app
ropriately designed pump and treat system (PAT) can have a significant effe
ct on the decontamination of a polluted aquifer and can preclude the furthe
r spreading of a contaminant plume. However, if the system is not designed
appropriately, it may cause a further serious spreading of the contaminatio
n. This possibility is illustrated by the examples presented in the paper,
which highlight the need for carl in the design of remediation strategies.
(C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.