ModBack - simplified contaminant source zone delineation using backtracking

Contaminated groundwater poses a serious threat to drinking water resources all over the world. Even though contaminated water might be detected in observation wells, a proper clean up is often only successful if the source of the contamination is detected and subsequently removed, contained or remediated. The high costs of groundwater remediation could be possibly significantly reduced if, from the outset, a focus is placed on source zone detection. ModBack combines several existing modelling tools in one easy to use GIS-based interface helping to delineate potential contaminant source zones in the subsurface. The software is written in Visual Basic 3.5 and uses the ArcObjects library to implement all required GIS applications. It can run without modification on any Microsoft Windows based PC with sufficient RAM and at least Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5. Using ModBack requires additional installation of the following software: Processing Modflow Pro 7.0, ModPath, CSTREAM (Bayer-Raich et al., 2003), Golden Software Surfer and Microsoft Excel. The graphical user interface of ModBack is separated into four blocks of procedures dealing with: data input, groundwater modelling, backtracking and analyses. Geographical data input includes all georeferenced information pertaining to the study site. Information on subsurface contamination is gathered either by conventional sampling of monitoring wells or by conducting integral pumping tests at control planes with a specific sampling scheme. Hydraulic data from these pumping tests together with all other available information are then used to set up a groundwater flow model of the study site, which provides the flow field for transport simulations within the subsequent contamination backtracking procedures, starting from the defined control planes. The backtracking results are then analysed within ModBack. The potential areas of contamination source presence or absence are determined based on the procedure used by Jarsjö et al. (2005). The contaminant plume length can be estimated using plume length statistics, first order rate degradation equations or calculations based on site specific hydraulic and chemical parameters. Furthermore, an analytical tool is included to identify the distribution of contaminants across a control plane. All relevant output can be graphically displayed and saved as vector data to be later used in GIS software. ModBack has been already used to delimit the zones of source presence or absence at several test sites. With ModBack, a tool is now available which enables environmental consultants, engineers and environmental agencies to delineate possible sources of contamination already at the planning stage of site investigation and remediation measures, helping to significantly reduce costs of contaminated site management. Bayer-Raich, M., Jarsjö, J., Holder, T. and Ptak, T. (2003): "Numerical estimations of contaminant mass flow rate based on concentration measurements in pumping wells", ModelCare 2002: A Few Steps Closer to Reality, IAHS Publication No. 277, 10-16. Jarsjö, J., Bayer-Raich, M., Ptak, T. (2005): "Monitoring groundwater contamination and delineating source zones at industrial sites: Uncertainty analyses using integral pumping tests", Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 79, 107-134