Many environmental issues involve the fate and transport of contaminants through the subsurface. This may be the movement from a point source or diffuse contamination over a large area. The simulation of solute contaminant transport is therefore an important tool for predicting the evolution of contaminant plumes, assessing whether site remediation is required, and if so which techniques will prove most effective.

WMC has extensive experience using the industry standard MT3D code for contaminant transport and the MODPATH code for particle tracking, both of which work in conjunction with MODFLOW. Chemical reactions and the processes of advection and dispersion influence the movement of contaminants through the groundwater system. Depending on the contaminant(s) involved, data availability and the environment WMC chose appropriate modeling solutions, from simple analytical models, to particle tracking or complete contaminant transport modeling such as MT3D with Modflow.

Contaminant transport modeling is an integral part of many of the services WMC offer including site remediation, risk assessment, mine closure and ARD assessments.