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PLUME-SCALER-EVALUATING LONG-TERM MONITORING WELL NETWORKS
Citation:
Striz, E. PLUME-SCALER-EVALUATING LONG-TERM MONITORING WELL NETWORKS. Presented at National Monitoring Technology Conference, Boston, MA, 9/19-20/00.
Description:
EPA's Subsurface Protection and Remediation Division is developing a new computer application called PLUME-SCALER to evaluate long term monitoring well networks using typically available historical site water level data. PLUME-SCALER can be used to determine if there are enough wells at the site, if they are in the right location, if there are wells that are not really necessary, and where to place new monitoring wells. PLUME-SCALER will possess a user- friendly graphical user interface (GUI) to allow easy data entry and visualization of results. For each round of water level measurements, PLUME-SCALER will calculate a least-squares regression of the plane of the water table/piezeometric surface to determine the magnitude and direction of the ground water flow. The program will then use this ground water flow field in an analytical solution of the one-dimensional advection-dispersion equation to develop an unique "realization" of the plume for the conditions pertaining to that round of measurements. A separate "realization" will be created for each round of water level measurements. The concentrations from each "realization" will be combined to generate an average concentration plume on a two-dimensional site grid to capture the spread of the plume with the variations in the ambient ground water flow. By comparing estimates well by well, the user can identify regions that are under represented by monitoring wells, and regions where wells provide minimum benefit. In addition, PLUME-SCALER will prepare contours of the minimum distance between individual monitoring wells and adjacent wells, as a representation of the uncertainty or lack of information associated with the density of monitoring. Finally, PLUME-SCALER will calculate a "Well Optimal Location Factor" (WOLF) which is defined as the product of the averaged plume concentration and square of the minimum distance between individual wells over the grid. Contours of the WOLF will indicate local maxima that represent the optimal locations for new monitoring wells.