Abstract
Two pilot-scale, GeoSiphon™ systems have been installed and tested for the treatment of contaminated groundwater at the Savannah River Site. These systems consisted of an in-situ treatment cell located in an area of higher hydraulic head and a siphon connecting the cell to a surface stream at a lower hydraulic head. The siphon induced contaminated groundwater flow through a permeable treatment media in the cells and transported the treated water to the discharge points in a surface stream. The hydraulic head available to drive the systems is divided between the head losses associated with the aquifer-treatment cell and siphon. Six different treatment cell configurations and seven different siphon configurations have been hydraulically evaluated in association with the two pilot-scale systems and are described herein.
These pilot-scale systems demonstrated that GeoSiphon™ systems can treat any contaminant for which an appropriate permeable treatment media is available and can be applied to shallow groundwater contaminant plumes (no deeper than 7.6 m [25 ft]), where at least a few feet of head differential can be exploited. The systems could typically be applied in flood plains.