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Questionnaire about Contaminated Sites & Groundwater management

A lot of countries have a significant legacy of land contamination caused by a wide-range of polluting activities occurring over the last 200 years or more. This contamination poses a significant threat to groundwater as well as the wider environment and human health. Therefore remediation of contaminated land and groundwater is of common international concern. Nevertheless, the context and approach taken to solve this challenge are, however, country-specific. In parallel, the demand for water is growing and water crises are identified as in the TOP3 risks by the World Economic Forum since 2015. That’s why the ICCL members have selected this topic for the ICCL 2017 survey.

Context

5.Is Groundwater contaminated a challenge for your country/region?

Yes

 No

What share of the public water supply is made up be groundwater (%) at your country / region level?

6.If yes, please provide some details:

How many contaminated sites do you estimate to be potentially affecting groundwater resources adversely?

At how many sites areinvestigation results providing evidence for contamination likely to be affecting groundwater resources adversely?

How many contaminated sites adversely affecting groundwater resources do you estimate to be in need of remediation or other active risk management?

7. Which types of contamination and substance groups (or substances) have been investigated being most important up to now?

METALS AND METALLOIDS

  • mercury
  • cadmium
  • others – please specify

LNAPL

  • volatile aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX)
  • Benzene
  • petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH)
  • MTBE

DNAPL

  • polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
  • volatile halogenated hydrocarbons (e.g. TCE, PCE, 1-1-1-TCA)

OTHERS

  • pesticides
  • PFAS/PFOS
  • please specify

8. Which types of contamination and substance groups (or substances) do you believe is remaining (or emerging) to be tackled?

METALS AND METALLOIDS

  • mercury
  • cadmium
  • others – please specify

LNAPL

  • volatile aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX)
  • Benzene
  • petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH)
  • MTBE

DNAPL

  • polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
  • volatile halogenated hydrocarbons (e.g. TCE, PCE, 1-1-1-TCA)

OTHERS

  • pesticides
  • PFAS/PFOS
  • please specify

9.What are the major sources of groundwater contamination?

Agriculture

Industrial activities

Oil production, distribution and storage

Dry cleaners

Landfills

Mines

Transport

Urban contamination

Others: please provide details

10.Is there any evidence that the extent (area and/or volume) of GW contamination is growing, stable or reducing over time?

Growing

Stable

Reducing

Please give details:

11. When did the majority of these contaminations occur?

After 2000

 1990-2000

 1980-1990

 1970-1980

 1960-1970

 1950 - 1960

1940 - 1950

Before 1940

Legislation / Policy / Regulations

12. How doesyour national / regional policy about contaminated sites / contaminated soil relate togroundwater management? If not considered, is the GW contamination management regulated by another policy (e.g. water protection)?

13.If regulated, what are the main policy objectives?

Yes

Please provide details such as a web link.

14. Often, several sites contaminate the same groundwater resource (at the catchment level). Are you allowing for an “area” approach” managing multiple sources together? Or are you applying a site specific approach?

15. if you are considering an area approach, how are you dealing with the chain of liability applicable to contaminated land management:

  1. Polluter? Land owner? Last operator? Occupier?
  1. Is there any difference between new and historic contamination?
  1. If yes, please specify the cut-off date that determines liability for historic contamination?

16.Under your national / regional legal / policy / regulation context, are there financial incentives (such as tax breaks, or grants, national / regional special funds) that encourage groundwater contamination management?
Yes

 No

If yes please give details:

Do you have public funds for financing investigation and remediation of orphan sites?

Yes

 No

If yes please give details:

Technical issues related to groundwater contamination management

17.Are there specific site investigation requirementsfor investigation and remediation work?

Yes

 No

If yes please give details:

18.Are risk assessment & risk management core concepts for managing GW contamination?

Yes

 No

If yes please give details such as weblink to tool:

19.Is your national / regional policy using generic guideline values for classifying groundwater quality?

Yes

 No

If yes please give details in describing the following aspects?

  • background for derivation of generic guideline values
  • When are these values used? Which level of implementation (investigation, risk assessment, remediation, final control)?
  • Which Priority substances are covered (cf. list questions 7 and 8)?
  • Protocols of derivation (including acceptable risk levels used).

20. What are the drivers for GW remediation?

  • To what level is remediation / clean-up required? (i.e. acceptable risk for water uses, land use quality values / use-specific trigger values, protection of the resource as such,…)
  • Does your national policy use cost-benefits analysis for the choice of the remedial solution?

21. What are the main remediation strategies or treatment techniques used in your countries (including Natural Attenuation)?

  • Frequency of use of the remediation techniques?

Frequent / Often / Repeatedly / Rarely / Not Applied
Ex situ biological
Ex situ physical / chemical
Ex situ thermal
In Situ Biological
In Situ Physical / Chemical
In Situ Thermal
Off-gas treatment
Containment
Combination of techniques
  • Is there any challenge in terms of acceptance of using innovative treatment techniques, in particular regarding the use of in-situ-technologies?
  • Do companies need specialised licenses to undertake investigation or remediation work? Y/N

Crucial development in the future

Are there any additional issues to be further developed in the following months/years whatever they are (Research and Development needs, organisational issues, …)?

Reference

Please give most important references (documents, website, projects, and case studies) that could be relevant for explaining your national approach – incl. sources in your native language: