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Title: Ground-water quality and movement at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5022825

This report is an extension of earlier work in evaluation of the potential for contamination of the saturated ground-water system at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The objectives were to complete the sampling and analysis of water from observation wells at LLNL and to estimate the shallow areal ground-water flow speed for various portions of the LLNL site. Sampling and analysis of water from 13 observation wells at LLNL was completed. A series of field and laboratory hydraulic aquifer tests provided estimates of the hydraulic conductivity and effective porosity of the alluvial aquifer beneath LLNL. These estimates were the basis for calculating ground-water flow speeds beneath LLNL. All water samples tested contained tritium well below the limit for drinking water. The water from a well in the northeastern part of the site had about two times the nitrate concentration allowed in drinking water. Two wells contained trichloroethylene (TCE) in concentrations above the suggested drinking water limit. Two wells produced water with tetrachloroethylene (PCE) concentrations above the suggested drinking water limit. Water from four wells contained detectable concentrations of chloroform. Ground-water flow speeds in shallow alluvium at LLNL were estimated to be between 1 and 42 m/y. PCE-contaminated ground water may move offsite in 10 months to 3 years from a contaminated well in the southwest part of the site, if it has not already done so. Elsewhere, chlorinated hydrocarbons in ground water will likely take 11 to 550 years to move offsite.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
5022825
Report Number(s):
UCRL-53474; ON: DE84008869
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English