Determination of the optimal location of monitoring wells reducing uncertainty of contaminant plume distribution

Contaminated area should be identified for designing polluted groundwater cleanup plan. A methodology was suggested to identify a contaminant plume distribution geostatistically. James & Gorelick (1994) suggested a methodology to evaluate data worth as expected reducing remediation cost. In this study, their methodology was modified to evaluate data worth as expected reducing uncertainty of the contaminant plume distribution. In suggested methodology, the source identification model by Mahar & Datta (2001) using a forward solute transport model is integrated. Suggested methodology was assessed by two simple example problems and its result represented reducing uncertainties of contaminant plume distribution successfully.