Groundwater numerical models as tool for managing polluted sites: a test case.

The study case regards the aquifer below and surrounding an abandoned landfill; the aquifer was investigated through a numerical flow and transport model with the aim at identify the groundwater flow and the possible pollution spread due to a leakage. The obtained results allowed to estimate the groundwater pollution and the areas potentially subjected to the contamination. The paper briefly reports the results of aquifer numerical modelling applied to a study case. The numerical modelling allowed to understand the groundwater flow below a landfill and to forecast the pollution spread due to a possible leackage of a leachate tank. Two important results have been reached: first, there is a lack of data that should be supplied through monitoring actions such as: realization of monitoring wells, sampling campaign, new boreholes; second, the contamination due to a tank leackage is not very dangerous for the downstream river with the current dataset.