Configuring Detection Wells Near Landfills |
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| Authors: | Paul F. Hudak |
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| Affiliation: | Dr. Paul F. Hudak;is an associate professor in the Department of Geography at the University of North Texas. He received a B.S. in geology from Allegheny College, an M.S. in geology from Wright State University, and a Ph.D. in geography from the University of California at Santa Barbara. His current research interests include ground water monitoring and remediation, geographic information systems, and environmental geology. |
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| Abstract: | A graphical method was devised for designing contaminant detection monitoring networks in aquifers. The approach eliminates bias in detection efficiency among well pairs, thereby improving the overall efficiency of a ground water monitoring network. In the equidistant configurations derived by the graphical approach, all wells are located the same distance from a landfill, but the distance is measured parallel to ground water flow, Measured perpendicular to ground water flow, there is also an equal spacing between wells in an equidistant network. A simulation model was used to compare an equidistant network to a peripheral monitoring configuration, in which wells were spaced evenly along the downgradient boundaries of a landfill. The equidistant network yielded a 12.4% higher detection efficiency and also facilitated earlier release detection. In practice, the graphical approach that yields equidistant configurations can be used to identify candidate monitoring networks to detect potential releases from landfills. |
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