United States Environmental Protection Agency Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory Ada, OK 74820 Research and Development EPA/600/S2-84/182 May 1985 Project Summary State-of-the-Art of Aquifer Restoration Robert C. Knox, L. W. Canter, D. F. Kincannon, E. L. Stover, and C. H. Ward This two-volume report presents a summary of the state-of-the-art of aquifer restoration. Included are eight sections and seven appendices. The text includes sections on: (1) ground water pollution control through in- stitutional measures, source control, stabilization/solidification methods, well systems, interceptor systems, capping and liners, sheet piling, grouting and slurry walls; (2) treat- ment of ground water via air strip- ping, carbon adsorption, biological treatment, chemical precipitation, and other treatment techniques; (3) in-sltu chemical treatment and biological stabilization; (4) a protocol for aquifer restoration decision-making; and (5) techniques for aiding the decision- making process. The appendices (Vol- ume II) include: (1) case studies of aquifer restoration; (2) considerations regarding an aquifer restoration infor- mation center; (3) information for public participation in aquifer restora- tion decision-making; and (4) an an- notated bibliography of 225 selected references. The state-of-the-art of aquifer restoration is a rapidly chang- ing technology, with many instances of single or combined techniques either planned or recently imple- mented. Unfortunately, few if any ef- forts have yet been completed. Thus, effectiveness, duration and cost data are as yet incomplete. A major need exists for a systematic and comprehensive study of the cost- effectiveness of aquifer restoration technologies. This Project Summary was devel- oped by EPA's Robert S. Kerr En- vironmental Research Laboratory, Ada, OK, to announce key findings of the research project that is fully documented in a separate report of the same title (see Project Report ordering information at back). Introduction As recently as the late 1970s, the four most common perceptions of aquifer restoration measures were: (1) they were costly; (2) they were time-consuming; (3) they were not always effective; and 14) pertinent information was unavailable. Although these perceptions have not been totally overcome, the state-of-the-art is progressing significantly. An ever- increasing amount of information has become available concerning aquifer restoration and ground-water cleanup. Much of this new information has been presented in a variety of conferences and symposia. However, the amount of infor- mation published in the refereed literature remains sparse and a significant amount of information also remains unavailable because it is associated with litigation. The final report presents the available in- formation as it relates to technologies dealing with ground-water pollution. Also included is the most recent information on mobile wastewater treatment technologies and in-situ treatment of contaminated ground water. From a thorough analysis of this information, a protocol (structured approach) for selecting remedial actions has been developed. An accompanying volume of seven appendices to the final report provides information on case studies and public participation in decision-making; and an annotated bibliography of 225 selected references. Ground-Water Pollution Pollution of ground water can result from many activities, including leaching from municipal and chemical landfills and ------- abandoned dump sites, accidental spills of chemicals or waste materials, improper underground injection of liquid wastes, and placement of septic tank systems in hydrologically and geologically unsuitable locations. In recent years, aquifer pollu- tion from man's waste disposal activities have been documented with increasing frequency. Concurrently, demands for usage of ground water have been increas- ing due to population growth and dimin- ishing opportunities for economical development of surface water supplies. Until recently, many ground-water profes- sionals and policy-makers generally held that pollution of an aquifer severely cur- tailed or even eliminated its use. Recently, however, this view has changed as a result of increasing demands for ground water, the development of appropriate methodologies for aquifer cleanup, and encouraging progress with systems now on line. The focus on methodologies has been heightened by current hazardous waste site cleanup efforts financed by "Superfund" state and industrial monies. Classification of Methodologies Table 1 lists aquifer cleanup meth- odologies organized by acute or chronic pollution problems. Acute pollution of an aquifer may result from inadvertent spills of chemicals or releases of undesirable materials and chemicals, usually as a result of a transportation* accident. Such unplanned pollution events often require an emergency response. Chronic aquifer pollution comes from numerous point and area sources and involves conventional pollutants such as nitrates and bacteria, or more toxic compounds such as gaso- line, metals, and synthetic organic chemicals. Methodologies for aquifer cleanup can also be characterized in terms of the goals of abatement and restora- tion. Abatement refers to the applica- tion of methodologies which prevent or minimize pollutant movement into ground water, or prevent contami- nated plume migration into usable aquifer horizons (the latter example is also called plume management). Aqui- fer restoration refers to the restor- ation of water quality to background quality, usually by removing both the source(s) of pollution and renovating the polluted portion of the aquifer. If the pollution source(s) has already been dissipated by time, restoration may in- volve only renovation of the polluted ground water. Table 1. Methodologies for Aquifer Cleanup Goal Pollution Problem Methodologies Acute Abatement 1. In-situ chemical fixation. 2. Excavation of contaminated soil with subsequent backfilling with "clean" soil. Restoration 1. Remove? wells, treatment of contaminated ground water, and recharge. 2. Removal wells, treatment of contaminated ground water, and discharge to surface drainage. 3. Removal wells and discharge to surface drainage. Chronic Abatement 1. In-situ chemical fixation. 2. Excavation of contaminated soil with subsequent backfilling with "clean" soil. 3. Interceptor trenches to collect polluted water as it moves laterally away from site. 4. Surface capping with impermeable material to inhibit infiltration of leachate-producing precipitation. 5. Subsurface barriers of impermeable materials to restrict hydraulic flow from sources. 6. Modify pumping patterns at existing wells. 7. Inject fresh water in a series of wells placed around source or con- taminant plume to develop pressure ridge to restrict movement of pollutants. Chronic Restoration 1. Removal wells, treatment of contaminated ground water, and recharge. 2. Removal wells, treatment of contaminated ground water, and discharge to surface drainage. 3. Removal wells and discharge to surface drainage. 4. In-situ chemical treatment. 5. In-situ biological treatment. 'Could also be referred to as interceptor wells. It should be noted that a given aquifer cleanup project may involve usage of several methodologies in combination. For example, in an acute situation, excavation and backfilling might be used in conjunc- tion with removal wells, treatment of con- taminated ground water, and discharge to surface drainage. A chronic pollution cleanup project may include surface cap- ping, subsurface barriers, and in-situ chemical treatment. State-of-the-Art Many different measures, ranging from institutional mandates to physical tech- nologies, have been proposed for the pro- tection and/or cleanup of degraded ground water. Institutional measures already implemented consist mainly of legislated authority to enforce cleanup mandates. In addition, a number of states have developd preventive policies such as requiring liners and/or surface water con- trol at waste disposal facilities. A number of Federal institutional measures, in- cluding the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (Superfund), the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Underground Injection Con- trol Program, have provisions for address- ing the protection or cleanup of ground water. The large number of physical tech- nologies useful for the cleanup of polluted ground water come from several inter- ------- related disciplines. The traditional hydrogeologic technology of pumping wells has been complemented by tech- nologies from civil engineering and con- struction fields, such as grouting and slurry walls; and from the agricultural in- dustry with its subsurface drainage tech- niques. At any one she, the remedial pro- gram employed often consists of a com- bination of hydrogeologic and engineering technologies. Not all of these possible combinations have been tried and proven for ground water applications because performance data for many of them are just now becoming available. Table 2 lists some of the advantages and disadvan- tages of the various physical measures available for addressing ground water remediation problems. Despite the innovative technologies now being promoted, the most popular ground water cleanup measure remains removal and treatment. The mechanics of ground water flow to wells is well known and readily applied. Most often such knowledge is combined with traditional wastewater treatment technologies to treat a polluted aquifer. In fact, this cleanup technique has been applied so often that there is increased interest and study toward developing compact, mobile wastewater treatment units; especially units for removal of synthetic organics by adsorption or by air stripping. Treatment of polluted ground water by in-situ techniques is still relatively new; however, such treatment is receiving in- creased research attention. Successful in- site treatment is highly dependent on both the characteristics of the pollutant(s) and the subsurface hydrogeology. Although case studies with adequate controls to determine effectiveness of in-situ tech- niques are limited, it is generally recog- nized that in-situ techniques will be ap- plicable only to sites meeting very specific requirements. Examples of in-situ tech- nologies include in-situ chemical treat- ment and in-situ biological stabilization through enhancement of the indigenous microbial population or addition of accli- mated microorganisms. The costs of aquifer restoration meas- ures are dependent on a variety of fac- tors. Published information concerning cost of remedial techniques has most often been reported as unit cost data or Table 2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Physical Aquifer Restoration Technologies Technology Advantages Disadvantages Source Control Strategies Well Systems Interceptor Systems 1. Reduces the threat to the ground-water en- vironment. 2. Accelerates the time for "stabilization" of waste disposal facilities. 3. Offers opportunities for economic recovery. 1. Efficient and effective means of assuring ground-water pollution control. 2. Can be installed readily. 3. Previously installed monitoring wells can sometimes be employed as part of well system. 4. Can sometimes include recharge of aquifer as part of the strategy. 5. High design flexibility. 6. Construction costs can be lower than ar- tificial barriers. 1. Not only easy but also inexpensive to in- stall. 2. Useful for intercepting landfill side seepage and runoff. 3. Useful for collecting leachate in poorly permeable soils. 4. Large wetted perimeter allows for high rates of flow. 5. Possible to monitor and recover pollutants. 6. Produces much less fluid to be handled than well-point systems. 1. Increased capital and maintenance costs. 2. Monitoring and skilled operator re- quirements. 1. Operation and maintenance costs are high. 2. Require monitoring program after installa- tion. 3. Withdrawal systems necessarily remove clean (excess) water along with polluted water. 4. Some systems may require the use of sophisticated mathematical models to evaluate their effectiveness. 5. Withdrawal systems will usually require sur- face treatment prior to discharge. 6. Application to fine soils is limited. 1. When dissolved constituents are involved, it may be necessary to monitor ground water downgradient of the recovery line. 2. Open systems require safety precautions to prevent fires or explosions. 3. Interceptor trenches are less efficient than well-point systems. 4. Operation and maintenance costs are high. 5. Not useful for deep disposal sites. ------- Table 2. (continued) Technology Advantages Disadvantages Collector Drains Surface Water Control, Capping and Liners a. Natural Attenuation (no liner, no cap) b. Engineered Liner c. Engineered Cover d. Engineered Cover and Liner 1. Operation costs are relatively cheap since flow to underdrains is by gravity. 2. Provides a means of collecting leachate without the use of impervious liners. 3. Considerable flexibility is available for design of underdrains; spacing can be altered to some extent by adjusting depth or modify- ing envelope material. 4. Systems are fairly reliable, providing con- tinuous monitoring is possible. 5. Construction methods are simple. 1. No leachate collection, transport and treat- ment costs. 2. Reduced construction costs. 1. Lessens hydrogeologic impact. 2. Allows waste to stabilize quickly. 1. Lessens hydrogeologic impact after closure. 2. Reduces construction costs relative to liners. 1. Lessens environmental impacts. 2. Minimizes post closure leachate collection, transport and treatment costs. 3. Politically/socially acceptable. 1. Not well suited to poorly permeable soils. 2. In most instances, it is not feasible to situate underdrains beneath an existing site. 3. System requires continuous and careful monitoring to assure adequate leachate col- lection. 1. Requires unusually favorable hydrogeologic setting. 2. Regulatory acceptance difficult to obtain. 3. Long-term liabilities. 1. "Clay-bowl" effect. 2. Increased construction costs. 3. Chance for surface discharge. 1. Increases closure costs. 2. No leachate control during site operations. 3. Long-term monitoring and land surface care. 1. High cost for engineering and construction. 2. Need high quality clay or synthetic material. 3. Lengthened time for waste stabilization. Sheet-Piles Grouting 1. Construction is not difficult; no excavation is necessary. 2. Contractors, equipment, and materials are available throughout the United States. 3. Construction can be economical. 4. No maintenance required after construction. 5. Steel can be coated for protection from cor- rosion to extend its service life. 1. When designed on basis of thorough preliminary investigations, grouts can be very successful. 1. The steel sheet piling initially is not water- tight. 2. Driving piles through ground containing boulders is difficult. 3. Certain chemicals may attack the steel. 1. Grouting is limited, to granular types of soils having a pore size large enough to accept grout fluids under pressure, yet small enough to prevent significant pollutant migration before implementation of grout program. ------- Table 2. (continued) Technology Advantages Disadvantages S furry Walls 2. Grouts have been used for over 100 years in construction and soil stabilization projects. 3. Many kinds of grout to suit a wide range of soil types are available. 1. Construction methods are simple. 2. Adjacent areas are not affected by ground- water drawdown. 3. Bentonite (mineralI will not deteriorate with age. 4. Leachate-resistant bentonites are available. 5. Low maintenance requirements. 6. Eliminate risks due to strikes, pump breakdowns, or power failures. 7. Eliminate headers and other above ground obstructions. 2. Grouting in a highly layered soil profile may result in incomplete formation of a grout envelope. 3. Presence of high water table and rapidly flowing ground-water limits groutability through; a. extensive transport of contaminants. b. rapid dilution of grouts. 4. Some grouting techniques are proprietary. 5. Procedure requires careful planning and pretesting. Methods of ensuring that all voids in the waff have been effectively grouted are not readily available. 6. Grouts may not withstand attack from specific pollutants. 1. High cost of shipping bentonite from the west. 2. Some construction procedures are patented and require a license. 3. In rocky ground, overexcavation is necessary because of boulders. 4. Bentonite deteriorates when exposed to high ionic strength leachates. 5. Adequate key to impermeable formation is critical. 6. Methods for assessing in-place integrity not available. national average costs. However, from study of the few specific reports on economics and consideration of several case studies, one significant conclusion can be drawn: the cost of restoring an aquifer will not always be in the tens of millions of dollars; a more reasonable range might be from several hundred thousand dollars to several million dollars. Not all aquifer restoration projects will fall under the Superfund category which has received so much publicity. In fact, ex- amples of successful and economic aqui- fer cleanup projects using private funds are not uncommon. For example, in New Jersey more than three dozen restoration programs representing more than $30 million in private funds are underway. Development of feasible strategies (al- ternatives) from potential aquifer restora- tion measures also depends on many fac- ors. In developing a set of alternatives, it is necessary to consider the total system and to include future preventive measures in addition to current cleanup activities. Because ground-water pollution is not solely a hydrogeologic problem, proposed solutions demand a multi-disciplinary ap- proach. A comprehensive preliminary study is necessary to organize existing data and eliminate duplication of effort; such a study also will prevent premature implementation of poorly designed alter- natives prone to failure. The development of a list of alternative remedial measures, following the preliminary study, should be based on an iterative process. By iterating through the selection process, measures can be refined and selected in order to minimize design flaws which often go un- detected in the subsurface environment. 'Selection of a single aquifer restoration strategy from a list of alternative measures requires careful and prudent consideration of the economic, en- vironmental and public health (risk) im- plications of each alternative. In eval- uating the economics of a remedial meas- ure, it is important to include all costs and to relate them to a common time period. Environmental evaluations should recog- nize any irretrievable commitments of the subsurface environment, and the finite life of some measures such as liners. Risk assessment is a new field of study and as such, there are few available risk models and a dearth of risk data. A myriad of techniques are available for aiding decision-making; these are based on a balanced and systematic considera- tion of the economic, environmental and risk features inherent in feasible alter- natives. Any technique used should in- clude public participation as an integral component. Because of adverse publicity given such sites as Love Canal, Valley of ------- the Drums, and Times Beach, the public has become extremely concerned about sites with the potential for contaminating their drinking (ground) water supplies. A number of procedures for incorporating public input into the decision-making pro- cess are available. Protocol for Aquifer Restoration Decision-Making The general approach for developing aquifer restoration strategies and selecting the most appropriate one for meeting a given need is, for the most part, intuitive- ly obvious. A logical first step is a preliminary assessment of the nature of the problem. Based on the preliminary assessment, a number of alternative strategies (remedial measures) can be developed. From the list of possible alter- natives, an optimum choice is selected by systematically considering a series of deci- sion factors, environmental impacts and cost-effectiveness analyses. Implementa- tion and construction of the chosen alter- native then follows, accompanied by a monitoring program. Another objective of this study was to design a structured protocol that could be followed for developing aquifer restoration strategies. Figure 1 is a flowchart repre- sentation of the procedure herein devel- oped based on analysis of the available literature. Emphasis is placed on the ac- tual procedure for developing a list of technical alternatives based on approp- riate consideration of numerous decision factors. The procedure is not intended to be a set of explicit instructions; rather it is a generalized approach which, when modified, could be applied to a wide array of ground water quality problems. Recommendations Based upon this study of the state-of- the-art of aquifer restoration, seven recommendations are presented: (1) Systematic Research Program — There is a need for development of a systematic research program aimed at increased understanding of the behavior and effectiveness of various remedial measures. Outlined in Table 3 is an example list of research needs concerning aquifer restoration measures. (2) Aquifer Restoration Information Center — Currently, information directly related to ground-water quality control and cleanup is being generated from a large number of widely dispersed activities. Addi- tionally, extant and informative Selection of Multi-Disciplinary Team Problem Definition and Characterization Preliminary Study Plume Delineation Hydrogeologic Characterization Site Characterization Water Use and Requirements Human Health Costs/Rish Assessment Land Use Patterns/Growth Projections Regulations/Institutional Constraints Funding Evaluate Data 4 Identify Data Needs Goal Identification Matrix Preliminary Feasible Alternatives I Preliminary Screening I (Iteration) •+ — Scope Design — >»• Feasible Alternatives r Matrix r Development of Alternatives \ Economic t Environment Ft i sit Ass I \ Decision-Makir ' Evaluation il Evaluation sssment r ig Techniques Evaluation of Alternatives Selection of Aquifer Restoration Strategy Selective Alternative Figure 1. Flowchart for aquifer restoration decision-making. Table 3: Examples of Aquifer Restoration Research Needs Topical Area Specific Needs Surface Capping and Liners Slurry Walls 1. Development of standardized tests for assessment of in-place integrity. 2. Development of accelerated testing procedures for assessing the long-term performance of liners and seals. 3. Effects of root-penetration on surface caps. }. Effects of organics on bentonite—change in bentonite pro- perties and migration of organics through bentonite over time. 2. Effects of organics on various bentonite-cement mix- tures—change in properties of mixtures (e.g., shrink/swell potential) and migration of organics through the mixtures over time. ------- Table 3. (continued) Topical Area Specific Needs Air Stripping of Volatile Organics from Ground Water Removal of Organics via Ac- tivated Carbon Treatment 3. Development of techniques for assessing the in-place integri- ty of slurry walls {permeability, bottom connections, seepage, etc.). 1. Stripping of single compounds vs. mixtures of compounds. 2. Stripping characteristics of different classes of volatile organics. 3. Direct or indirect I fouling of packing media) interferences of ground-water constituents on stripping. Examples include metals (Fe, Mn, Cr), inorganic salts (TDS), % saturation of oxygen, non-volatile organics, and microbial activity. 4. Effectiveness of batch vs. continuous vs. combination (batch and continuous) stripping. 5. Effectiveness of natural desorption vs. mechanical stirring. 6. Use of Total Organic Carbon (TOO and COD as surrogate in- dicators of volatile organics. 7. Effects of concentrations of volatile organics on stripping effi- ciency and effectiveness. 8. Use of simulated vs. actual ground water for treatability studies. 9. Optimization of packed tower design in terms of packing type and size, detention time, air/water ratio, height of packing, temperature and variations, moving gas (air, oxygen, ozone), stripping enhancement via chemical additions, counter- current vs. cross-current vs. co-current flow, no packing, single tower vs. towers in series, scale-up from laboratory studies to pilot plants to full design, and development of computer-based design program. 10. Atmospheric dispersion of released organics, and other issues related to air pollution. 11. Cost-effectiveness of existing facilities. 1. Adsorption of single compounds vs. mixtures of compounds. 2. Adsorption characteristics of different classes of compounds. 3. Direct or indirect (fouling of activated carbon) interferences of ground water constituents on adsorption. Examples in- clude: metals (Fe, Mn, Cr), inorganic salts (TDS), % satura- tion of oxygen, non-volatile organics, and microbial activity. 4. Use of TOC and COD as surrogate indicators of adsorbable organics. 5. Effects of concentrations of adsorbable organics on adsorp- tion. 6. Use of simulated vs. actual ground water for treatability studies. 7. Optimization of activated carbon column design in terms of: size of carbon, detention time, column diameter, depth of carbon, temperature and variations, adsorption enhancement via chemical additions, single column vs. columns in series, scale-up from laboratory studies to pilot plants to full design, and development of computer-based design program. 8. Cost-effectiveness studies of existing facilities. material can be found in sources somewhat related but not directly applied to ground water. An aquifer restoration information center is needed to collect available and per- tinent information. The centralized information could be categorized according to sources, pollutants, remedial measures employed, costs, and effectiveness. The centralized and categorized information could be disseminated much more effi- ciently. In addition to information on cases of ground-water pollution cleanup there is a need for cat- aloging the growing number of pro- fessionals and/or companies pro- viding services related to ground- water quality management. In addition to national con- ferences and symposia, intensive short courses or workshops devoted solely to the technical aspects of aquifer restoration should be developed. (3) Monitoring — One aspect of remedial measure design also receiving increased interest is ground-water quality monitoring. Most remedial measures are design- ed, at least in part, on the basis of pre-existing monitoring data. All remedial measures should include, as an integral component of their design, provisions for monitoring the long-term effectiveness of the measures employed. (4) Costs — The costs of remedial measures is an area severely lacking in comprehensive and transferrable information. Information on the over-all cost-effectiveness of remedial measures, including the long-term operation, maintenance and monitoring costs, is desperately needed. Research efforts based on a case study approach should be conducted to develop cost-effective information and a data base ap- plicable to private and publically- funded cleanups. (5) Remedial Measure Selection — All future remedial measures should be designed and selected based on the application of a structured decision- making methodology or protocol. The methodology should include provisions for public participation. The approach utilized must be doc- umented and technically defensible. Progress in the field of remedial measure design and selection can- t, US OCVERNHENT PRINTING OFFICE 1965 - 559-111/10839 ------- not proceed based only on an anal- ysis of previous cases developed by ad hoc procedures. (6) Risk Assessment Methodologies — There is a need for development of risk assessment methodologies that can aid in evaluating the need for and effectiveness of cleanup meas- ures. Additionally, methodologies need to be developed that are sim- ple in theory, easy to apply, and utilize available data. Methodologies involving complex stochastic anal- ysis usually require data that is not available. The utility of the results from these methodologies is minimal. (7) Product Recovery — Future re- medial action design should be re- quired to explore the possibility of recovering and utilizing the ground- water pollutants. This has been widely practiced in cases involving hydrocarbon leakage from storage tanks. There may exist other in- stances in which the pollutants may be economically recovered, especial- ly those involving solvent spills. Recovery and utilization of the pol- lutants would help to defray costs of remedial measures. ft. C. Knox, L W. Canter. D. J. Kincannon, E. L. Stover, and C. H. Ward are with National Center for Ground Water Research. University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019. Jamas F. McNabb is the EPA Project Officer (see below). The complete report consists of two volumes: "State-of-the-Art Aquifer Restoration: Volume I. Sections I thru VIII," (Order No. PB 85-181 071/AS; Cost: $29.50, subject to change). "State-of-the-Art Aquifer Restoration: Volume II. Appendices A thru G," (Order No. PB 85-181 089/AS; Cost: $31.00, subject to change). The above reports will be available only from: National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 Telephone: 703-487-4650 The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at: Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ada, OK 74820 United States Environmental Protection Agency Center for Environmental Research Information Cincinnati OH 45268 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 OCOC329 FS U S ENVIR PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 5 LIBRARY Z30 S OEARBCRN STREET CHICAGO IL 60404 ------- |