Use of Discrete-Zone Monitoring Systems for Hydraulic Characterization of a Fractured-Rock Aquifer at the University of Connecticut Landfill, Storrs, Connecticut, 1999 to 2002

A multi-disciplined and team-based approach was used to integrate geophysical, hydrologic, and chemical data to characterize lithology, fractures, and hydraulic properties of fractured crystalline bedrock and to determine the nature and extent of ground-water contamination from a landfill and former chemical-waste disposal pits at the University of Connecticut. Detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in domestic bedrock wells in the mid-1980s led to this investigation, in which a team comprised of hydrologists, engineers, geophysicists, geologists, chemists, toxicologists, and community-involvement personnel collected, analyzed, and evaluated data; developed and refined a conceptual model of the ground-water flow and contaminant distribution at the site; and evaluated alternatives and implemented a final remediation plan. The characterization phase began in 1999 and the remediation phase is currently ongoing.