How long will it take to cleanup the TCE in groundwater?
It is too early to tell. The NIBW groundwater extraction and treatment systems have been cleaning up the groundwater since 1994. During this time period, more than 46 billion gallons of groundwater have been treated and an estimated 42,000 pounds of TCE have been removed. Collectively, these systems are projected to remove the bulk of the TCE in groundwater, over 90 percent of the estimated mass, within the next 20 years. Due to aquifer heterogeneities, particularly within the layered silt, sand, and clay intervals of the Middle Alluvial Unit, as well as physical properties of TCE, it may take an additional 30 years or longer to remove the remaining residual TCE.
