What Does Groundwater Remediation Involve?
Written by AOS Treatment Solutions on April 25, 2017
Contaminated water is a real health hazard. The situation in Flint, Michigan, always comes to mind; Flint was just the tip of the iceberg, as a Reuters report showed nearly 3,000 areas in the United States with “lead poisoning rates at least double those in Flint.”
Why Is Groundwater Remediation Necessary?
Water contamination is a recurring problem in the United States, but for a long time, there was no concern over the quality of groundwater. Americans now realize how big this issue is, due to the discovery of numerous contaminants in groundwater supplies. The dangerous contents range from herbicides and pesticides to feedlot runoff, farm and grass fertilizer, septic tank discharge and sewage leaks.
Some contaminants cause immediate irritation, creating symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. These symptoms are especially common when dealing with exposure to microbial-contaminated groundwater. In some cases, though, the symptoms are not known until severe illnesses, such as cancer, develop in the affected persons.
How Does Groundwater Remediation Work?
This groundwater treatment service entails preventing the contamination problem right away. The goal is to find a full resolve, but temporary solutions are regularly used to patch the problem. Of course, when treating the contamination, it is more a matter of identifying the cause and executing a prevention strategy.
Here are some examples of groundwater remediation tactics (by scenario):
Contamination by Feedlot Runoff
Feedlot runoff control systems typically collect, treat and discharge groundwater on their own. Many states (Minnesota, for example) have regulations that specify a full-containment system is required if the total cattle count is high enough.
Contamination by Herbicides or Pesticides
It takes a small concentration of chlorine dioxide to take care of herbicides, fungicides and pesticides. There are studies that support the effectiveness of chlorine dioxide as a produce washing solution, such as for lettuce and tomatoes. These studies are promising because they prove groundwater treatment solutions help to reduce the salmonella content in fresh crops.
Contamination by Farm or Grass Fertilizer
Nitrogen-rich fertilizers can contaminate groundwater, which could travel to nearby streams and lakes, and ultimately into the Gulf of Mexico. Even worse, the United States Geological Survey made the claim that ingesting this water is potentially life-threatening — especially when it comes to young babies and livestock. However, nitrogen groundwater contamination is handleable with chlorine dioxide.
From the removal of nitrogen (without hurting greenhouse pH levels) to preventing algae and biofilm from entering irrigation systems, chlorine dioxide can help. While this is often one of the more expensive of the groundwater treatment solutions, chlorine dioxide is a more powerful oxidizer than other chlorination treatments.
Contamination by Septic Tank Discharge or Sewage Leaks
Everything from chloride to nitrogen and sulphate can appear in high concentration from a septic tank discharge or sewage leak. This problem runs rampant even when prevention techniques are tried, such as on-site sewage facilities, which are a leading cause of groundwater pollution.
Since septic tank discharge is too dirty, a biofilter is necessary before the water discharges into nearby streams or lakes. There are many remedial solutions for this problem; for residential groundwater treatment solutions, bleach is a common tool for cleaning up sewage leaks and septic tank discharge.
Conclusion
The quality of any water must always be brought to question. It is not enough to assume that groundwater is safe on any land. A groundwater treatment system will go a long way to ensure businesses and residents have a water supply that meets a certain quality standard.