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 FAQs

IN-SITU VACUUM EXTRACTION PROJECTS:
7. EMERGENCY CLEANUP OF WATER SUPPLY

City of Rayville Physical Plant Rayville, Louisiana

Routine sampling by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) detected benzene in a city water supply well. An underground gasoline tank system that had been formerly located just 70 feet from the well was the suspected source. A hydrogeological characterization of the site confirmed that gasoline from the UST had migrated towards the well. DEQ required an emergency cleanup of the source area.

With the concurrence of the DEQ, a Two-Phase Vacuum Extraction system was deployed to the site to extract contaminated groundwater and soil vapors. The removal of ground water was facilitated by the introduction of atmospheric air using the priming method invented by TSI employee Steven Morrow and described in U. S. Patent Number 5,076,360. More than 450,000 gallons of contaminated water and 1,000 pounds of hydrocarbons were removed in one month. Four subsequent rounds of sampling over a two year period have shown no recurrence of benzene in the well water.

The innovative use of the priming method and the successful restoration of the quality of the city water supply for very low cost (the remediation was completed for less than $30,000) led the Pennsylvania Consulting Engineers Council to recognize this project with an Honor Award for Engineering Excellence in 1994.