Design of effective remediation system in a contaminated aquifer by controlling constraints

Optimization of groundwater remediation design using the pump and treat method was modeled under controlled concentration constraint conditions. The remediation design in a contaminated aquifer with a heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity field was optimized by simultaneously minimizing the number of extraction wells and total extraction volume. A simulation-optimization method was applied to search for optimal designs. When the contaminant concentration constraint intensified, both the extraction volume and number of extraction wells generally increased. However, the number of wells, well locations, and extraction volume did not increase regularly according to changes in the constraint condition. These variations imply that remediation cost should be optimized by adjusting constraint conditions. Under the intensified constraints, the cleanup time changed ahead of the increase of the extraction rates, and the removal efficiency of contaminant decreased. It shows that a cost-effective remediation strategy using the pump and treat method could be achieved by increasing the cleanup time rather than extraction rates or introducing additional remediation techniques.