Patent ID: 8580114

Claim:
A method for treating a large-scale contaminant plume under a surface area when surface conditions above said plume interfere with placement of a plurality of pumps at distances of less than 300 feet, wherein the improvement comprises: (a) preparing an in-situ, three-dimensional treatment cell at a location remote from said surface conditions, wherein said treatment cell comprises a surface area, at least one injection well surrounding by a plurality of associated extraction wells less than 300 feet from each associated injection well, and a treatment zone, wherein said treatment cell surface area is smaller than said plume surface area, wherein each injection well comprises an outlet in hydraulic connection with a local water table, wherein each extraction well comprises an inlet in hydraulic connection with said local water table, and a pump, and wherein said treatment zone comprises reagent, and is located in said local water table between said injection well and associated extraction wells, (b) inserting at least one pumping well into said plume, wherein said pumping well comprises: an inlet in hydraulic connection with said contaminant plume, a pump, and an outlet connected with said plume surface area wherein said outlet is in hydraulic connection with said treatment cell, (c) pumping contaminated groundwater from said plume through said pumping well inlet, up said pumping well, through said hydraulic connection, to said remote treatment cell, and into at least one remote injection well, wherein said contaminated water flows out said injection well outlet into said treatment zone, (d) pumping treated water from each extraction well at a rate wherein said water is treated in one-pass through said treatment zone, (e) extracting said treated water from said extraction well and disposing of said water.