Services Rendered:
Water Balance Study
Seepage Analysis
Groundwater Monitoring
Water Supply Water
Resources Planning
Environmental Impacts
Client:
Department of Energy, Tennessee, USA
Status of Project:
Completed
DSI conducted a detailed water balance of Rogers Quarry, which is located on the southern slope of Chestnut Ridge in Bethel Valley, Oak Ridge, TN. Rogers Quarry had been used for construction of the Oak Ridge Nuclear Plants. Having been abandoned as a quarry, it had become filled with natural groundwater and had a surface water stream running through the quarry. As a result of potential concern for groundwater contamination, a groundwater monitoring network was installed. Part of the effort to assess the quarry’s potential impact on groundwater involved development of a water budget for Roger’s Quarry. A preliminary water budget was conducted using existing flow data for the inflow and outflow from the surface channel. DSI developed evaporation data from pan data collected at UT, and used the nearest rainfall data to conduct a seepage residual analysis. From this analysis, an estimate was made of the net flux of groundwater into or out of the quarry. This information was used to aid in assessing the groundwater impact of the ash disposal. Recommendations were made to collect additional data which would reduce the uncertainty concerning the estimates generated.
Aerial view of Y-12 Plant looking west (courtesy DOE, Oak Ridge)
