Research Product

The growing recognition of the limitations and inefficiencies of performance and cost of pump-and-treat has led to the development of alternative approaches and new technologies for dealing with groundwater remediation. Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a sealable joint steel sheet piling system to funnel contaminated groundwater through a series of gates for in situ treatment. These containment and treatment technologies are the subject of patents and patents pending held by the University. Three possible approaches to remediation with the funnel-and-gate system include: 1)plume containment, which leaves the subsurface source in place, but leads to no further expansion of the impact from dissolved contamination; 2)partial aquifer restoration, which involves long term isolation of the source zone in combination with remediation of the plume downgradient of the source area; 3)aquifer restoration, which involves full remediation of both the plume and the source zone.