subject: Groundwater Remediation Basics Explained [print this page] . According the the U.K. Groundwater Forum, about one-third of all residents in England and Wales are provided their tap water from the ground. In Northern Ireland the amount is 6% and in Scotland 3%. Groundwater is also used for irrigation, livestock, manufacturing, medical purposes, and countless other uses. But what happens when that supply gets contaminated?
Polluted groundwater can indeed be dealt with through a process which either removes the contaminants or contains the water so further contamination doesn't take place. "Groundwater remediation" is what we call the task of dealing with polluted water, regardless of the process used. Since groundwater occurs naturally in very different places, it can sometimes be complicated to find the source of the pollution and then deal with the water.
Although there are numerous processes for dealing with contaminated water, most can be classified as either biological or chemical. Biological treatments involve living micro organisms which are added to the water source. These micro organisms either consume or disintegrate the contaminants and then are themselves removed. Bioaugmentation, bioventing, biosparging, bioslurping are all examples of biologic remediation processes. Phytoremediation, which uses specific plants and trees to absorb polluted water and deal with its pollutants, is another.
In chemical processes, various agents or compounds are used to react with pollutants, ether absorbing them for later filtering or changing their composition to make them water soluble. Pumps and filters remove the absorbing agents and any other remaining residue. A third category of groundwater remediation uses physical means rather than chemical or biological. Air sparging and dual phase extraction are two examples of this kind of remediation.
Contaminated soil remediation is often done at the same time water is being cleaned due to the close natural association between the two. Pollution sometimes enters the water table by draining through the soil above; other times the soil will become contaminated as polluted water moves through it. Either way, dealing with the contaminated water while leaving the soil alone would simply result in more water pollution.
Pathogens, or disease-causing germs in simpler terms, are a major cause of contaminated groundwater in some countries. Fortunately, it's never been a serious problem in the U.K. On the other hand, the increased use of pesticides, industrial chemicals, and protoplasm products over the last half-century has caused an increase in nitrate levels and other contaminants in the water. As a result, the U.K. has been forced to build a number of large-scale water treatment facilities.
Because groundwater is something humanity cannot live without, and because technology and manufacturing is not likely to come to and end, there will always be a need for groundwater and oil remediation. Experts in the area of hydrology, as well as the researchers, business owners, and labourer needed to keep our water clean will remain in demand for the foreseeable future.
So next time you each for the tap to get a cold glass of water, remember that someone, somewhere, probably was involved in cleaning that water for your consumption. Try also to remember that knowingly contaminating water is illegal in most places. Oh, and it's just poor form too.
Katherine D Peacock is a consultant and writer specializing in ground water treatment. For more information regarding groundwater or soil remedition, please visit her website.
