Two-stage aquifer pumping subject to slow desorption and persistent sources

This work focuses on improving pump-and-treat remediation by optimizing a two-stage operational scheme to reduce volumes extracted when confronted with nonequilibrium desorption, low-permeability units, and continuous contaminant sources such as non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL). Q1 and Q2 are the initial short-term high pumping rate and later long-term low pumping rate, respectively. A two-dimensional ground water flow and transport management model was used to test the proposed strategy for plumes developed from finite (NAPL-free) and continuous (NAPL-driven) contaminant sources in homogeneous and nonhomogeneous (zoned) aquifers. Remediation scenarios were simulated over durations of 2000, 6000, and 15,000 d to determine (1) the optimal time to switch from a preset Q1 to Q2 and (2) the value of Q2. The problem was constrained by mass removal requirements, maximum allowable downgradient concentrations, and practical bounds on Q2. Q1 was fixed at preset values 50% to 200% higher than the single-stage pumping rates (i.e., steady pumping rates during entire remediation period) necessary to achieve a desired cleanup level and capture the plume. Results for the NAPL-free homogeneous case under nonequilibrium desorption conditions achieved the same level of cleanup as single-stage pumping, while reducing extracted volumes by up to 36%. Comparable savings were obtained with NAPL-driven sources only when the source concentration was reduced by at least 2 orders of magnitude. For the zoned aquifer, the proposed strategy provided volume savings of up to 24% under NAPL-free and reduced source conditions.