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Monitoring Well Comparison Study

Region 5 Pollution Prevention
National Information of Interest

The U.S. EPA initiated a study to determine whether measurements of groundwater parameters obtained using direct-push wells are comparable to those obtained from conventional monitoring wells. Many state regulatory agencies are hesitant to make decisions using data generated with direct-push instruments. Direct-push monitoring wells do not contain filter packs and are pushed into the subsurface; conventional monitoring wells contain filter packs and are installed with typical drilling and completion methods. The measured parameters were groundwater levels, chemical concentrations (BTEX, MTBE, TSS, and naphthalene), hydraulic conductivity, and natural attenuation (geochemistry) parameters.

The data suggests that, provided the wells are properly developed, measurements obtained from direct-push monitoring wells are equivalent to those obtained from conventional monitoring wells. Direct-push monitoring wells have the potential to be more useful and more cost effective than conventional monitoring wells while providing equivalent results. The authors expect that this report will help alleviate some of these concerns and provide a sound basis for further work.

A separate but very similar study was recently completed by the Naval Facilities Engineering Center in California that confirms these results.

For more information contact:

Andrew Tschampa
(312) 886-6136

David Ariail
(404) 562-9464

 

 

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