Solving Complex Remediation Problems

By Tomas Will, Sr. Environmental Scientist

Background and Setting:

A former automotive facility in the southeast was proving to be a challenge for our client to effectively remediate. The former facility had been redeveloped into a busy commercial property. The majority of the LNAPL plume was located beneath the current building and the remaining areas were located beneath the entrance drive to the facility. Monitor well data indicated a plume thickness of more than 15 feet. The client had explored different approaches but had favored an approach using ISCO.

Problem:

Low ceilings within the existing commercial building rendered vertical drilling within interior spaces unfeasible. Initial conceptual plans using vertical wells around the perimeter of the building would be unable to effectively treat the source area and would have created several dead zones where injectable amendments would not be able to reach. In addition, due to the layout of the site, any vertical wells that would be installed along the north perimeter of the building would block all ingress to the site due to the narrow configuration of the access drive. The current owners of the site were very resistant to shutting down all commercial activity to their property during the installation process and subsequent injection events.

Solution:

The client determined that horizontal injection wells might be able to help them find an answer to their many challenges. Reaching out to Directional Technologies, they began exploring an approach that would not only allow them to effectively treat the contaminant plume but would also allow the commercial property to continue operating without any interruptions throughout the entire installation and injection process. Directional Technologies designed four horizontal injection wells with screens set at different depths which would be used to distribute the injection amendment evenly throughout the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the contaminant plume.

Directional Technologies teamed with an in situ remediation service provider who they had successfully worked with on previous projects. Together with the remediation service provider, Directional Technologies designed horizontal injection wells that would effectively treat the plume of contaminated groundwater and would optimize injection amendment distribution to minimize the amount of product needed.  Using soil data provided by the client and the remediation service provider’s product specifications, Directional Technologies’ proprietary screen design software was used to custom engineer well screens that would ensure the desired distribution of the injection amendment within the geologic formation. As a result, the consultant was able to present their client with a solution that would provide effective performance and avoid causing interruptions to business activities, making them stand out as an outstanding problem solver.

What steps will you take to feel more confident about identifying the best solution for a complex site?  Call our horizontal remediation well experts at 1-877-788-4479 to discuss your current project needs.