Groundwater withdrawals and regional flow paths at and near Willow Grove and Warminster, Pennsylvania—Data compilation and preliminary simulations for conditions in 1999, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2017
Open accessAbstract
First posted February 6, 2020 For additional information, contact: Director, Pennsylvania Water Science CenterU.S. Geological Survey215 Limekiln RoadNew Cumberland, PA 17070 In 2014, groundwater samples from residential and public supply wells in the vicinity of two former U.S. Navy bases at Willow Grove and Warminster, and an active Air National Guard Station at Horsham, Bucks and Montgomery Counties, Pennsylvania, were found to have concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), which are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), above U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provisional health advisory (HA) levels for drinking water. Five supply wells near the bases were shut down because of PFAS contamination. In 2016, after EPA established a Lifetime HA for PFAS in drinking water that is lower than the provisional HA in place in 2014, at least 13 additional supply wells near the bases were shut down because of PFAS contamination. At the request of the U.S. Navy, and in consultation with other Federal and State agencies and local stakeholders, the U.S. Geological Survey used historical and recent data on well withdrawals, recharge rates, aquifer properties, groundwater levels, and stream base flow to evaluate regional groundwater-flow paths from identified areas of PFAS groundwater contamination or potential PFAS sources at the bases. Groundwater withdrawals near the bases from public supply and other large wells decreased substantially from the 1990s to 2017, increasing the proportion of groundwater recharge that discharged to local streams. A preliminary groundwater-flow model, calibrated using 1,009 groundwater levels and 17 stream base flow estimates, simulated regional flow paths from the bases and showed that recharge at the bases discharged to withdrawal wells and local streams, generally within a mile or two of the bases. Supply and remediation wells at the bases captured some of the recharge on base areas of possible PFAS contamination, whereas other base recharge was simulated to flow to nearby public supply wells and streams, depending on water use and aquifer recharge conditions between 1999 and 2017. The locations of many residential wells near the bases that were identified by the Navy and Air National Guard as having elevated PFAS concentrations were generally consistent with the simulated flow paths from possible sources at the bases. However, there are some areas of observed PFAS contamination where no flow paths from base sources were simulated. Additionally, no data were available on PFAS concentrations in groundwater in some areas of simulated flow paths from base sources. Data and models used for this study are provided in this report and in digital data releases to support further investigations and model revisions.
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Pumping wells in the vicinity and complex groundwater/surface water interactions in this fractured-rock setting could be contributing to streamflow loss.
“Pumping wells in the vicinity and complex groundwater/surface water interactions in this fractured-rock setting could be contributing to streamflow loss.11”
When attributing PFAS mass to different sources in a catchment or reach, groundwater-surface water interaction may be an important factor because stream PFAS loads and mass balance can be influenced by hydrogeologic setting, seasonal conditions, groundwater pumping rates, and other factors.
“When attributing PFAS mass to different sources in a catchment or reach, groundwater-surface water interaction (stream gains or losses of flow, from or to groundwater) may be an important factor because stream PFAS loads and mass balance can be influenced by hydrogeologic setting, seasonal conditions, groundwater pumping rates, and other factors.”
The study catchment contains documented PFAS point sources (military bases with AFFF releases and STP outfalls) and diffuse sources (urban runoff and groundwater with documented PFAS contamination) and consequently PFAS surface and groundwater contamination.
“The catchment contains documented PFAS point sources (military bases with AFFF releases and STP outfalls that discharge to streams) and diffuse sources (urban runoff and groundwater with documented PFAS contamination that discharge to streams) and consequently, PFAS surface and groundwater contamination.4,11,18”
Evaluation of PFAS loads from different sources in a stream can be challenging in systems with wastewater treatment plant effluent inputs that produce subdaily fluctuations in load and systems underlain by heavily pumped fractured rock aquifers.
“Evaluation of PFAS loads from different sources in a stream can be challenging in systems with wastewater treatment plant effluent inputs that produce subdaily fluctuations in load 12 and systems underlain by heavily pumped fractured rock aquifers.11”
Groundwater-flow modeling indicates that groundwater flow paths from potential base PFAS source areas discharge to Park Creek, sections of Little Neshaminy Creek, and tributaries draining the base area.
“In addition, groundwater-flow modeling indicates that groundwater flow paths from potential base PFASsource areas discharge to Park Creek, sections of Little Neshaminy Creek, and tributaries draining the base area.11”
Groundwater-flow modeling indicates that flow paths from the NAWC Warminster discharge into tributaries that drain to Little Neshaminy Creek and Neshaminy Creek.
“Groundwater-flow modeling indicates that flow paths from the NAWC Warminster discharge into tributaries that drain to Little Neshaminy Creek and Neshaminy Creek.11”
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- Authors
- Goode, D. J., & Senior, L. A.
- Affiliations
- United States Geological Survey (US)
- Venue
- Open-File Report
- Publisher
- US Geological Survey
- Published
- 2020
- ISSN
- 0196-1497 (ISSN-L)
- 2331-1258
- OpenAlex
- W3005318850
- Cited by
- 13
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1
- Type
- report
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Locations
- Antarctica A Keystone in a Changing World (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Battelle
- Leidos
- U.S. Geological Survey
- U.S. Navy
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Groundwater flow and contamination studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Water Quality and Resources Studies
- Keywords
- groundwater pumping, groundwater flow paths, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS contamination, perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOS, Warminster, Horsham, groundwater recharge, groundwater flow modeling, public water supply wells
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