Pump and Treat (PAT)

Pump and treat technology is a common form of groundwater remediation. Contaminated groundwater is pumped to the surface using a series of extraction wells, where it is subsequently treated to remove the contaminants, and then either reinjected into a groundwater aquifer or discharged into a nearby watercourse.

Surface treatment technologies include liquid phase granular activated charcoal and air stripping. Liquid-phase granular activated charcoal is a treatment technology which removes the contaminant(s) through attracting and adsorbing organic molecules, as well as certain metal and inorganic molecules to the carbon, thus removing the contaminants from the water. The thermal processing of the carbon prior to use, creates small porous particles with large internal surface areas which attribute to it being termed activated. Air stripping is a full-scale technology in which volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are partitioned from ground water through increasing the surface area of the contaminated water exposed to air by use of aeration methods including spray aeration or packed towers. Some example contaminants that have been effectively separated from water using air stripping include TCE, BTEX, PCE and DCE.

The design of the extraction well(s), pumping system, and treatment technologies are dependent on the site characteristics and the contaminant(s) of concern. An effective monitoring program allows verification of its effectiveness consequently allowing adjustments to be made to the system in response to potential changes in subsurface conditions.

Also see other Remedios Technologies or Contact Us for further information.