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Movement of volatile organics through a fractured rock aquifer

S.E. Spayd
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Abstract

In response to the detection of contaminants in several municipal water supply wells in a northern New Jersey community, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) undertook a detailed assessment of the movement of volatile organics through the Brunswick fractured rock aquifer. Understanding the directional or anisotropic behavior of ground-water flow within the aquifer proved to be a crucial factor for identification of the sources of contamination. Since the ground-water flow occurs in a direction predominantly parallel to the strike of the aquifer, the resulting distribution of contaminants allowed the differentiation of two overlapping plumes, each over 4,000 feet in length and each emerging from discrete adjacent sources. The investigations and subsequent cleanup agreements between the NJDEP and the responsible parties allowed savings of several million dollars for the U.S. EPA's Super-fund Program which otherwise would have been used for cleanup of the site. The privately funded cleanup program includes treatment of the affected municipal wells and on-site remedial actions designed to fully restore the aquifer within 10 years.

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BibTeXRIS

S.E. Spayd. 2006-03-21. Movement of volatile organics through a fractured rock aquifer. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.1985.tb01499.x

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