The Protection and Remediation of Malaysia’s Groundwater Resources

Ed Fahnline

23 October 2013

EnsearchSustainability and Environmental Management Conference and Exhibition

Overview of Presentation

Groundwater resources and use in Malaysia

Threats to groundwater resources Groundwater protection measures Investigation of suspected groundwater

contamination Remediation of contaminated

groundwater Conclusions

Groundwater Resources in Malaysia

Malaysia population growth*• In 2010, approx. 28.6 million • By 2040, estimated to increase to 38.6 million

Estimated water use in Malaysia** • In 2010 approx. 13,200 Million Liters per Day (MLD)• By 2020, estimated to increase to approx. 16,500 MLD**

Estimated groundwater use** • 450 MLD (approx. 3.4 %) of total water use• 60 % domestic, 35 % industry, 5 % agriculture

*Population Projection, Malaysia. Population Projection, Malaysia 2010 - 2040 (Updated: 18/01/2013) , Website of the Department of Statistics, Malaysia**Ismail C. Mohamad, Mohammed Hatta Abd Karim (JMG), Groundwater Availability

and Quality in Malaysia, 2010

Groundwater Resources in Malaysia

Groundwater storage estimate: 5,000 billion m3* Annual recharge: 64 billion m3* Categories of potential groundwater resources**

• Alluvium (sand and gravel) most productive• Limestone (in developed areas must avoid creating sinkholes)• Sedimentary basins (mostly Sarawak)• Fractured sandstone, their metamorphic equivalent and

volcanic rock• Fractured igneous rock is least productive

*Based from JICA study 1982**Ismail C. Mohamad, Mohammed Hatta Abd Karim(Jmg) Groundwater Availability And Quality In Malaysia, 2010

Groundwater Resources in Malaysia

Ref. from Promoting Sustainable Development and Management of Groundwater, SaimSuratman, NAHRIM

Current and Future Use of Groundwater in Malaysia

Rural and village water supply • State of Kelantan, groundwater provides 40 % of

the potable water supply* Groundwater infiltration gallery extraction

underneath riverbed Water supply for industries with large

water demands• Mineral water and beverage

production, steel mills, paper mills, etc.• Stand-by to ensure no disruption to operations

*http://www.nahrim.gov.my/index.php/en/perkhidmatan/58/273-kajian-pencemaran-air-tanah-di-kawasan-kelantan-utara-

Current and Future Use of Groundwater in Malaysia

Long term water security• Climate change• Prolonged dry seasons• Population and industrial growth

Backup for emergency shut-down of water treatment plant• Four Klang Valley surface water

treatment plants shut down after oil spill into tributary of Sungai Selangor on 30 August, 2013.

http://www.thestar.com.my

Threats to Groundwater Resources

Release of industrial pollutants to soil and groundwater (leaking tanks, spills into drains, etc)

Contaminated landfill leachate Malfunctioning septic tanks

Leaking UST

Excavation of leaking Underground Storage Tanks (UST)

Threats to Groundwater Resources

Unsustainable abstraction rate Agricultural pollution Contaminated runoff into

recharge areas Recharge from polluted surface

water bodies Saltwater intrusion

Leaking UST

Groundwater Protection Measures

Malaysia environmental regulations and enforcement Authorities

State and local water management boards National Water Services Commission (SPAN) Abstraction licenses Spill prevention and control planning and training Groundwater resource mapping Aquifer protection plans

• Wellhead (recharge) protection areas Sustainable groundwater extraction Integrated Water Resources Management

Groundwater Protection Measures

Environmental Quality Act of 1974 and Amendments• Objective - to prevent, abate, control pollution and to

enhance the quality of the environment, and for purposes connected therewith

Contaminated Land Management & Control Guidelines • Issued by Department of Environment (DOE) in June 2009• Does not yet have legislative force• DOE’s intention for the CLMCGs to become the basis of

Regulations pursuant to the EQA 1974• Provides a framework for investigation and remediation of

contaminated soil and groundwater

Groundwater Protection Measures

Protecting groundwater at your property Recognize and manage contaminant threats to soil

and groundwater Identify chemical use, storage, and disposal

• Solvents, metals, hydrocarbons, pesticides, PCBs, nitrates, etc.

Identify potential points of contamination release to environment • Leaking USTs• Scheduled waste yards• Cracks in pipes• Old buried wastes• Underside of corroded storage vessels

Groundwater Protection Measures

Identify potential points of contamination at your property and adjacent land

Groundwater Protection Measures

Protecting groundwater at your property Develop and maintain best practices to minimize

potential for releases to the environment Stop any ongoing sources of contamination into

subsurface Investigate suspected soil and groundwater

contamination Assess site contamination and potential need for soil

and groundwater remediation

Investigation of Suspected Groundwater Contamination

Ultimate objective of investigation is to develop a Conceptual Site Model (CSM) that identifies• How contamination entered the subsurface• Contaminants of concern• Source areas of highly concentrated contaminant mass• Distribution of contaminant in subsurface away from

source areas• Hydrology and contaminant transport mechanisms• Potential impacts to human health and environmental

receptors

Investigation of Suspected Groundwater Contamination

Generic Conceptual Site Model

Methods of Groundwater Investigation

Remote sensing analysis Geophysics Drilling and logging of boreholes Groundwater monitoring wells Collection of groundwater quality data Groundwater measurements

• Field parameters• Groundwater sampling• Aquifer testing

Well installation in Malaysia

Granite rock core

Innovative Methods of Groundwater Investigation

Isotope tracer Membrane Interface Probe (MIP) Rapid Optical Screening Tool (ROST) Passive

Diffusive Bag (PDB) sampler Flute technology to identify dense non-aqueous

phase liquids (DNAPL) Groundwater profiling using Waterloo Profiler

Innovative Methods of Groundwater Investigation

Ref. from GeoprobeSystems ® http://geoprobe.com/

Membrane Interface

Probe

Silty clay

MIP log

VOCsdetected

Sand

Innovative Methods of Groundwater Investigation

Borehole characterization• Flowmeters (heat, electromagnetic)• Geophysics (gamma, temperature)• Televiewers (optical, acoustic)• Caliper logging • Borehole liners• Packer testing

Groundwater Investigation

Example Site Subsurface Cross Section &

Monitoring Results

Example Site Subsurface Cross Section &

Monitoring Results

Remediation of Contaminated Groundwater

Based on the investigation and development of the CSM, the contaminant threat to potential receptors is evaluated• Potential for contamination to reach drinking water wells• Vapor intrusion to buildings• Contaminant migration to surface water• Direct contact by construction workers, etc.

The CLMCGs provide a framework for evaluating the risk posed to receptors and the methods to address this risk• Different methods to address risk are evaluated and a

preferred remedial action is selected

Remedial Action Alternatives

Containment of contaminant• Barriers • Hydraulic control, etc.

Administrative controls • Land use control• Access restrictions, etc.

Active remediation• In-situ technologies • Ex-situ technologies

Pump and treat for hydraulic control

Groundwater Remediation Technologies

Pump and treat Impermeable barriers Permeable reactive barriers Thermal remediation* Air sparging and soil vapor extraction In-situ chemical oxidation/reduction* Solar powered free product skimming* Enhanced in-situ bioremediation* Phytoremediation* Monitored natural attenuation More

Sustainable

Less Sustainable

*Innovative technology

Innovative Remedial Technologies

Next is a more detailed discussion for In-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) Enhanced in-situ bioremediation Thermal remediation

Solar powered ISCO system

In-situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO)

ISCO is the delivery of a chemical oxidant or ozone to contaminated media to destroy target contaminants and convert them to innocuous compounds

(Mumford, 2002)

In-situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO)

Most commonly used chemical oxidants Hydrogen peroxide Permanganate Persulfate Ozone Percarbonate

Split-spoon sample showing injected into permanganate

in clay

ISCO Oxidant Delivery

Oxidant is typically injected into the subsurface using permanent or temporary injection wells

Example injection well Injection Network

ISCO Oxidant Delivery – Batch Injection

Batch Oxidant Injection Using Direct Push Drill Rig

Direction injectionof oxidant

Injection probe

Oxidant injection hole

ISCO Oxidant Delivery –Recirculation

When is ISCO appropriate?

High concentration, smaller targeted area Robust CSM has been developed Natural oxidant demand is reasonable Low potential for metals mobilization Able to effectively deliver oxidant to targeted source

area

Oxidant injection

Bioremediation

Bioremediation is the use of either naturally occurring or deliberately introduced microorganisms to consume and break down environmental pollutants

Ex-situ bioremediation (landfarming) for hydrocarbon contaminated soil is practiced in Malaysia

Mixing of biopileBiopile air injection and water addition

Natural Biological and Abiotic Attenuation

CSM of typical plume undergoing natural attenuation

Source

Enhanced Bioremediation

Injection of enhancing substances into groundwater to stimulate biodegradation in-situ requires1. Site characterization (the right site)2. Biostimulation (the right conditions)3. Bioaugmentation (the right microbes)

Injection well, substrate injection hoses, and substrate storage tank

Enhanced Bioremediation

1. Site characterization (the right site)• Develop CSM• Remedial evaluation

2. Biostimulation (the right conditions)• Substrates injected to stimulate microbial degradationOxygen (aerobic biodegradation – most effective for

hydrocarbons)Carbon based substrates (anaerobic biodegradation – most

effective for chlorinated solventsCommon carbon sources - Palm oil, sodium lactate,

molasses, corn syrup, etc.

Enhanced Bioremediation

3. Bioaugmentation (the right microbes)

Microbial reductive dechlorination to degrade

chlorinated solvents

Injection Well Installation

Injection of carbonsubstrate

Injection well drilling

Substrate Injection Equipment

Substrate injection unit with mixing tanks, pumps, valves, and controls to inject into multiple wells

Case Study – Enhanced In-situ Bioremediation Pilot Test in Malaysia

Chlorinated solvents in soil and groundwater at active facility

Site geology - alluvium (sand and silt) Requirements to create a biologically active zone to

completely degrade groundwater CVOCs at site: • Inject bicarbonate to increase pH in groundwater to near

neutral conditions • Inject electron donor (emulsified oil) which is necessary for

microbial reductive dechloration• Bioaugmentation via injection of dehalococcoides bacteria

(KB-1)

Case Study – Enhanced In-situ Bioremediation Pilot Test in Malaysia

Oil Emulsion Preparation

Case Study – Enhanced In-situ Bioremediation Pilot Test in Malaysia

Pressure Injection

Case Study – Enhanced In-situ Bioremediation Pilot Test in Malaysia

KB-1 Bioaugmentation – Oct 2011

Thermal Remediation

Improve the recovery of contaminants by increasing the formation temperature • In-situ Electrical Resistive Heating (ERH) applies an

electric current into the formation• Steam Enhanced Recovery (SER) injects steam

Dual Phase (vapor + liquid) Extraction (DPE) is used to capture the organic vapors• Vacuum applied to network of vadose zone extraction

wells• Extracted vapors and liquids treated prior to discharge

Thermal Remediation

Electrical Resistance Heating

Electrical Resistance Heating Of Soils At C-ReactorAt The Savannah River Site, Mark E. Farrar et al, 1-18-2010, http://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/ viewcontent.cgi?article=1022&context=soilsproceedings

Thermal Remediation

Good for highly contaminated low permeability sites

Significant above-ground equipment Difficult to use at active facility Significant energy consumption Thermal treatment also used for organic vapor

destruction and ex-situ soil treatment

Case Study – Thermal Remediation for Solvents in USA

Interbedded clay, silt, and fine-grained sand to ~18 m bgs

DTW = 7.6 m to 10.7 m bgs

TCE, DCE, TPH in soil, soil vapor, and groundwater

DNAPL

Case Study – Thermal Remediation for Solvents in USA

Electrical Resistance Heating (ERH)

Dual Phase Extraction (DPE)

Case Study – Thermal Remediation for Solvents in USA

Large portions of treatment zone achieved target temp within 30 days

Case Study – Thermal Remediation for Solvents in USA

Operating since 20 March 2012 Through 52 days ~7,200 lbs removed ~88% of originally estimated mass (8,200

lbs)

Conclusion

Groundwater plays a growing and critical role and there needs to be a systematic approach to protection of the resource, elimination of threats, and remediation of existing impacts

Questions?

Thank you for your time

For more information contact:Ed Fahnline Geosyntec Consultants Sdn. Bhd.Petaling Jaya, MalaysiaEFahnline@geosyntec.com

www.geosyntec-asia.com.my