Options for Discharging Water from Pump and Treat Systems

In Options for Discharging Water from Pump and Treat Systems, you'll learn ...

• Why discharging to surface water may require more treatment than other options
• The relative merits of using infiltration basins vs. infiltration galleries vs. injection wells to return treated water to the subsurface
• Advantages and disadvantages of discharging to a publicly-owned treatment works (POTW)
• Options for treated water reuse

Overview

Credit: 2 PDH

Length: 16 pages

Many methods are used to clean up pollution at Superfund and other sites. Pump and treat (P&T) is a common method used for cleaning up groundwater. To remove polluted water from underground, an extraction system is built, usually consisting of one or more wells equipped with pumps. When the pumps are turned on, they pull the polluted groundwater into the wells and up to the surface. At the surface, the water goes into a holding tank and then on to a treatment system, where it is cleaned. There are a number of treatment methods which can be used which either destroy the polluting chemicals or to remove them for proper disposal.

Significant quantities of water may be treated by a groundwater P&T system, and it is important to consider the value of the treated water when evaluating discharge options. In some cases, where groundwater resources are limited, the preferred method may be to return treated water to the subsurface so that adequate water levels are maintained, or to use the treated water directly for water supply. In other cases, significant costs savings and avoided energy use may be realized by reusing the treated water for irrigation or industrial process water.

This course is intended for engineers who are involved with remediation of sites having contaminated groundwater.