After years of monitoring the Burrton plume, the state’s renewed focus on water quality might lead to progress on contamination. This is the hope of Tim Boese, the manager of Groundwater Management District 2. “I’m hoping the steam we’ve got going doesn’t diminish,” Boese said. Boese said there’s been a statewide focus on water quality that he hopes will lead to some changes. Most recently, the Kansas Water Office hired a consultant to conduct a feasibility study to determine what the options are to deal with the plume. Boese said the state had a study done in 2020, but it was broader. He said the current study is more focused and will provide actual options and costs involved. “It’s very preliminary,” Boese said. “But it’s a step that’s never been taken before.” The Burrton plume formed after concentrated levels of chloride seeped into the Equus Beds Aquifer from the early 1930s to mid-1940s. During that time, it was common practice for the Burrton Oil Field to use evaporation pits to dispose of brine. The brine then spread into the groundwater of the aquifer.
Source: Harvey County Now
