More than 65,000 gallons of contaminated groundwater has been removed from the Former Sodium Disposal Facility since 2024 when DOE installed an automated pump system. This represents nearly 70% of the total 94,000 gallons extracted since 2017.
Energy Technology Engineering Center
September 22, 2026
Estimated Read Time min
In the two years since the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) installed an automated pump system at the Former Sodium Disposal Facility (FSDF) at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL), more than 65,000 gallons of contaminated groundwater has been removed for treatment.
As of August, those 65,000 gallons represent nearly 70% of the total 94,000 gallons removed since DOE began pumping water manually at the FSDF in 2017 as part of interim cleanup measures to protect groundwater by capturing and removing contaminated material.
The FSDF is in Area IV at SSFL, where DOE previously conducted liquid metals and nuclear energy research at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) and is now charged with remediation.
DOE completed the installation of the new solar-powered automated pump system in May 2024 to allow for more frequent and greater pumping volumes, and it became fully operational by June 2024.
Previously, groundwater could only be removed by manually lowering a pump into a well through a borehole. Now, pumping can occur seven days a week and without the use of electricity or a generator to operate equipment.
The impacted groundwater is transported to a certified off-site facility for safe treatment and disposal.
-Contributor: Melissa Simon