Deep bedrock hydrogeologic characterization through the use of multiport monitor wells

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995 · Ground Water

OSTI ID:122447

Hartten, A S; Genau, R B ^[1]

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1. DuPont Environmental Remediation Services, Wilmington, DE (United States)

Multiport monitor wells were installed to characterize hydrogeologic conditions at a mountainous 500-acre RCRA facility in West Virginia. The site contains multiple land-based solid waste management units overlying a complex bedrock aquifer system. The choice of multiport monitor wells vs conventional monitor wells resulted in a nearly 100% cost savings during the well installation phase and lower costs for subsequent sampling and purge water disposal. The hydrogeologic setting includes five sandstone aquifers with intervening aquitards that extend to a depth of 900 feet. The multiport monitor wells allowed discrete interval measurement of geologic, potentiometric head, hydraulic conductivity, and ground water quality data. Each multiport well contained up to six discrete measurement/sampling ports within each aquifer, which permitted evaluation of vertical water quality within an individual aquifer if desired. The multiport wells were also designed with sampling ports in the shale aquitards to obtain hydrogeologic data from bedrock intervals not previously monitored. The multiport monitor well system provided ground water quality data representative of actual conditions. The ground water samples collected at the multiport wells were free from changes to fluid chemistry due to degassing or oxidation because the samples were collected directly from formation water without the influence of wellbore storage. Because the samples are obtained directly from the formation, purging of the well prior to sampling was not required, thus reducing well sampling and waste management costs. As a result, the yearly operating costs for sampling the multiport wells were almost 40% less in field costs and no waste management costs were incurred.

• OSTI ID: 122447
• Report Number(s): CONF-9510211--
• Journal Information: Ground Water, Journal Name: Ground Water Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 33; ISSN GRWAAP; ISSN 0017-467X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
EVALUATION
GEOLOGY
GROUND WATER
HYDROLOGY
MONITORING
MONITORS
RESOURCE RECOVERY ACTS
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
SOLID WASTES
WATER POLLUTION
WEST VIRGINIA