The Driller
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
  • EDUCATION
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
  • SUBMIT
  • ABOUT
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Water
  • Geothermal
  • Construction
  • Environmental
  • Mining
  • All Industry News
  • EQUIPMENT
  • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
  • Consumables
  • Pumps
  • Featured Products
  • VIDEOS
  • Newscast
  • Drill Talks
  • Ask Brock
  • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
  • Drilling Business Insights
  • Reference Desk
  • Sponsored Insights
  • EVENTS
  • Conferences & Demo Days
  • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
  • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
  • Contact
  • Advertise
The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP
Drilling Industry News

New Software Predicts Results for Ground Water Cleanup Strategies

November 16, 2006
Already used at eight Department of Defense sites, a software package to predict results and timelines for cleaning up ground water contamination is being offered free of charge to environmental cleanup professionals.

A software package, developed at Virginia Tech, to predict results and timelines for cleaning up ground water contamination, has been used at eight Department of Defense sites and is being offered free to environmental cleanup professionals.

The Natural Attenuation Software (NAS) was developed with funding from the U.S. Navy and in collaboration with U.S. Geological Survey for application to ground water systems. It was designed to help environmental cleanup professionals estimate how far underground plumes of contamination will migrate from a source, such as a solvent spill or underground gasoline storage tank leak, and how long cleanup will take with natural attenuation in various environments with or without use of remediation technologies.

“The ability to return contaminated ground water to a pristine state is limited, so a heavy emphasis is placed on meeting achievable remedial action objectives,” says Mark Widdowson of Blacksburg, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech. “We want to at least limit the damage and to have an objective we can reach, such as to reduce the size of the contamination plume and to take advantage of the natural attenuation capacity of an aquifer.”

Natural attenuation is when, under the right conditions, microbes and minerals in the earth bind to or degrade contaminants into less harmful compounds. “But all things are not equal from site to site,” Widdowson says. “For example, contaminants at sites in the U.S. West, where there is less moisture and carbon in the soil, often degrade more slowly than at sites in the East.”

The first step is to define the site, then remediate or remove the source area as much as possible. “A plume is a symptom. We want to reduce the mass in the source and the amount of material that leaves the source. Then we want to take advantage of a sites attenuation capacity,” Widdowson explains.

“Once site data - the type and numbers of contaminants and site characteristics - are entered into NAS, you can decide what level of remediation should be performed to meet the goal and how long it will take to clean up the site,” Widdowson notes.

“The software lets you ask 'what if?' 'What if we remove 50 percent or 80 percent of the mass, how much benefit will there be over what time?' 'What if we remediate the source for 12 months, what will the response be in 10 years, 20 years and 50 years?'” Widdowson says. “The software does not simulate the intricacies of the remediation process, but goes to expense and effort. We think this software will help save hundreds of thousands of dollars at each site and up to a billion dollars over the long haul.”

Tests recently have been completed at eight different sites with funding from the Department of Defense Environmental Security Technology Certification Program.

The eight DOD test sites, located on the U.S. West Coast, Southeast, and Northeast, were diverse in terms of geography, hydrogeologic settings and contamination source, and they were sites with long-term data sets.

The researchers used the information history already had presented to confirm the results the software predicted when site conditions were entered. “We tested how well the software replicated results,” Widdowson says. “Then we did predictions continued or for alternative remediation strategies.”

The researchers also tested the software with incomplete data, “because all the desired information is not necessarily known. It's always a case of how good the data is. In the process, we made the software more flexible for people to use,” Widdowson reveals. The NAS is available free at www.nas.cee.vt.edu.

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • geotechnical drilling rig

    6 Onsite Phrases Environmental Drillers Hate

    Here are six phrases that highlight common frustrations...
    Environmental Monitoring
    By: Jeff Garby
  • Wayne Nash

    Pipe Stuck? Common Causes and Solutions for Drillers

    If you have drilled for any length of time, sooner or...
    Markets
    By: Wayne Nash
  • submersible pumps, water well pumps

    Selecting and Sizing Submersible Pump Cable

    This article helps pump installers and servicers decide...
    Pumps
    By: Bob Pelikan
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

close

1 COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE(S) LEFT

Loader

Already a Registered User? Sign in now.

Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • Manage My Preferences

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the The Driller audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of The Driller or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • demo of a DM450 drilling rig during a customer factory visit
    Sponsored byGeoprobe

    Built for You: Smarter Drill Rigs, Stronger Support, Bigger Opportunities

Popular Stories

MainPhotoTwoBrothers.jpg

Two Brothers' Journey Through the Drilling Industry

AI and Drought Concerns

AI’s Growing Thirst for Water and Power

demo of a DM450 drilling rig during a customer factory visit

Built for You: Smarter Drill Rigs, Stronger Support, Bigger Opportunities

The Driller Classifieds

COMPRESSORS

EAST WEST MACHINERY & DRILLING IS BUYING AND SELLING AIR COMPRESSORS, AIR BOOSTERS, AIR ENDS & PARTS
Company: East West Machinery

DRILL RIGS

LOOKING FOR LATE MODEL TOPHEADS & DRILLTECH D25'S
Company: Spikes’s Rig Sales

DRILL RIG PARTS

MEETING DRILLERS NEEDS AROUND THE WORLD
Company: East West Machinery

ELEVATORS

SEMCO INC. PIPE ELEVATORS
Company: Semco Inc.

GROUTERS

GROUTING EQUIPMENT - GROUT PUMPS & GROUT HOSE REELS
Company: Geo-Loop Inc.

PUMP HOISTS

SEMCO INC. - BASIC PUMP HOISTS
Company: Semco Inc.

WELL PACKERS

LANSAS PRODUCTS - INFLATABLE WELL PACKERS
Company: Vanderlans Lansas Products

WELL SCREENS

WELL SCREENS & SLOTTED PIPE
Company: Alloy Screen Works

Products

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

By carefully explaining both the underlying theory and the underlying mathematics, this text enables readers to fully grasp the fundamentals of physical and chemical treatment processes for water and wastewater.

See More Products

Subscribe to The Driller Newscast

Related Articles

  • Study Predicts Ground Water Pollution Degradation

    See More
  • Hot Microbes Mean Rethinking Ground Water Cleanup

    See More
  • Early Results from Hydraulic Fracturing Study Show No Direct Link to Ground Water Contamination

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 1119819962.jpg

    Stantec's Water Treatment: Principles and Design, Updated, 3rd Edition

  • drilling.jpg

    Clay Science in Drilling and Drilling Fluids

  • fundamentals.jpg

    Fundamentals of Sustainable Drilling Engineering

See More Products
×

Dig deeper into the drilling and water supply industry!

Build your knowledge with The Driller, covering the people, equipment and technologies across drilling markets.

SIGN UP NOW
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Classifieds
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP