Design of Free Product Recovery System for Jet Fuel

The U.S. Navy has operated a military installation at Adak Island, Ala., since 1943. Jet fuel (JP-5) has been used as the primary fuel source on the island, including use as heating oil in the housing areas. Releases of JP-5 to the subsurface were discovered in three housing areas in 1988, and a product recovery system was installed in 1989. The original product recovery system consisted of 17 recovery wells with dual-phase pumps. Recovered product was pumped into storage tanks for recycling on Adak. Recovered water was discharged to the sanitary sewer. The volume of product recovered by the system had declined steadily since installation. In 1993, the Navy decided to investigate and evaluate the operational status and effectiveness of the existing recovery systems. This investigation determined that the product recovery systems were not operating as designed and that some of the plumes had migrated further beyond the effective zone of capture of the existing recovery wells. Several alternative recovery system designs were identified that would effectively remediate the jet fuel product plumes while minimizing ongoing maintenance requirements.