Analysis of the remediation of a contaminated aquifer by a multi-well system

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.