One study examined petroleum product persistence on drinking
water infrastructure and decontamination. The study focused on diesel
fuel and cement-mortar drinking water pipe that was extracted from a water distribution system ((USEPA), 2008). Diesel fuel was found to be persistent on the cement-mortar coupons, with 21 to 23 mg of diesel adhering to each coupon (19 in.2). Flushing removed 36 to 38% of the adhered diesel, but Surfonic TDA-6 removed more than 96%, which was
the limit of detection. Surfonic TDA-6 is an ethoxylate dispersant that is also effective for chlordane and may be an effective decontaminant for other petroleum products.