Journal of Hydrology, 149 (1993) 137-161 0022-1694/93/$06.00 © 1993 - Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved 137 [3] Pollution of groundwater in the Coventry region (UK) by chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents Mark William Burston *'l , Mehrdad M. Nazari 2, Philip Keith Bishop 3, David Nicholas Lerner Hydrogeology Research Group, School of Earth Sciences, Universityof Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK (Received 2 April 1992; revision accepted 5 January 1993) Abstract Groundwater quality in the Coventry aquifer system was surveyed using the 42 accessible boreholes. Pollution by chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents (CHSs) is widespread in the urban area, with trichlor- oethene being the major pollutant. CHS pollution is closely associated with industrial land use, except for trichloromethane which appears to be linked to leakage of chlorinated water from water mains and sewers. Modelling studies suggest that most of the urban groundwater is already polluted by dissolved CHSs, and that natural flushing of the aquifer will take hundreds of years. Inorganic pollution has also occurred in the urban area, and is linked mainly to leakage from sewers, in contrast to most CHS pollution. Little, if any, degradation of CHSs is taking place in the aquifer, and pollution continues; the poor quality of Coventry groundwater will, therefore, persist for the foreseeable future. Introduction Until recently organic pollution of British groundwater was not considered to be a serious problem. Studies in other parts of the world, principally in the USA (Westrick et al., 1984), concluded that chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents (CHSs) were frequently found in groundwater under urban areas. These * Corresponding author. 1 Present address: Aspinwall & Co., Walford Manor, Baschurch, Shrewsbury SY4 2HH, UK. 2 Present address: Dames & Moore GMBH, H6chster Strasse 92, 6237 Liederbach, Germany. 3 Present address: Mott MacDonald Group Ltd, Demeter House, Station Road, Cambridge, CB1 2RS, UK.