vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5102G)
EPA 542-F-99-021
September 1 999
clu-in.org
Groundwater Cleanup: Overview of
Operating Experience at 28 Sites
Fact Sheet and Order Information
Introduction
Groundwater contamination is present at most hazardous waste sites
across the country. U.S. EPA compiled data on groundwater
remediation in a new report, Groundwater Cleanup: Overview of
Operating Experience at 28 Sites (EPA 542-R-99-006) to provide site
managers with information that may be helpful in remedy evaluation
and selection. The study examines operating experiences at 28 sites
with completed or ongoing groundwater cleanup programs. The sites
present a range of the types of cleanups typically performed at sites
with contaminated groundwater, and were selected based on length of
cleanup operations, type of cleanup goals, and availability of data.
At 21 of the sites, pump-and-treat (P&T) systems were used as the sole
groundwater cleanup technology. In situ permeable reactive barriers
(PRBs) were used alone at two of the sites as the groundwater
technology, and followed P&T at one site. In addition, in situ
bioremediation and air sparging were used in conjunction with P&T at
five sites. The bar chart shows the categories of contaminants treated at
the sites. (Some sites have more than one type of contaminant.) The
Federal Remediation Technology Roundtable has published individual
reports for each of the 28 sites available at www.frtr.gov/cost.
Categories of Contaminants Treated at 28 Sites
Chlorinated VOCs
BTEX
Other VOCs
Pesticides
PAHs
PCBs
Other SVOCs
- -Metals
5 10 15 20 25
Number of Case Study Sites
Contents of Report
For each of the 28 sites, the report summarizes and discusses the
following types of data:
• Site conditions, such as contaminants, hydrogeology, presence of
non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL), and type and dates of cleanup
• Design and operation of the remedial system, such as system
components, in situ technologies used, operational parameters, and
system optimization and modification efforts
• Performance of the remedial system, such as progress towards
meeting cleanup goals, removal of contaminant mass, and average
reduction in the concentrations of contaminants
• Cost for the remedial system, such as capital costs, average annual
operating costs, and unit costs
Summary of Findings
Most of the case studies (26 of the 28) examine sites at which
remediation is ongoing; data on performance and cost are current as of
late 1997 or early 1998. Performance data compiled for the report
show that the total amount of contaminant removed at the sites ranged
from 7 pounds to >510,000 pounds, with a median contaminant mass
removal of 2,000 pounds. The average annual volume of groundwater
treated at P&T sites ranged from 1.7 million to 550 million gallons.
Changes in contaminant concentrations in the aquifer varied widely.
For the 26 systems in which P&T was used alone or with another
technology, the median capital cost was $1.9 million; the median
average annual operating cost was $190,000; the median unit costs
were $96 of capital cost per average 1,000 gallons of groundwater
treated per year and average annual operating cost of $ 18 per average
1,000 gallons of groundwater treated per year. For the three PRB
systems, the median capital cost was $500,000; the median average
annual operating cost was $85,000; the median unit costs was $520 of
capital cost per average 1,000 gallons of groundwater treated per year
and average annual operating cost of $84 per average 1,000 gallons of
groundwater treated per year.
The factors that affect cost and performance and the extent of the effect
of those factors varied from site to site. However, the information
provided for the 28 case study sites, as well as general observations of
groundwater cleanup as a whole, indicate that the following factors
have a significant effect on the cost and performance of groundwater
remediation systems:
• Source control - Method, timing, and success of controls that
mitigate continuing sources of groundwater contamination, such as
NAPLs or highly contaminated soil
• Hydrogeologic conditions - Aquifer properties that affect transport
of the contaminant and design of the extraction system, including
hydraulic connection of aquifers, aquifer flow parameters, and
influences of adjacent surface water bodies and production wells
• Properties of the contaminants - Physical/chemical properties of
contaminants that affect the relative ease of removing contaminants
from the aquifer, such as solubility and vapor pressure
• Extent of contamination - The extent of the contaminated
groundwater plume, including area and depth of the plume and the
concentrations of contaminants within the plume
• Remedial goal - Regulatory factors that affect the design of a
remedial system or the period of time for which it must be
operated, including containment of the plume, restoration of the
aquifer, and stringency of the cleanup levels
• System design and operation - Different configurations of a
system, system downtime, system optimization efforts, amount and
type of monitoring performed, and use of in situ technology to
replace or supplement a P&T system
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A EPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
National Service Center for
Environmental Publications
P.O. Box 42419
Cincinnati, OH 45242
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA S42-F-99-021
September 1999
BULK RATE
Postage and Fees Paid
EPA
Permit No. G-35
Groundwater Cleanup: Overview of
Operating Experience at 28
Fact Sheet and Order Information
Order Form
To order Groundwater Cleanup: Overview of Operating Experience at 28 Sites (EPA 542-R-99-006), please call
I -800-490-9198, or complete this form and mail or fax it to:
National Service Center for Environmental Publications
P.O. Box 42419
Cincinnati, OH 45242
Fax:(513)489-8695
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Please note that this document can be downloaded [66 pages-PDF] from the Hazardous Waste Clean-Up Information
home page at .
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