ABSTRACTThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Solute Transport Model is a widely used, well‐documented computer code which simulates contaminant transport in ground water using a finite‐difference grid and the method of characteristics. In this study, the model was applied to an industrial site where trichloroethylene (TCE) and other industrial solvents had contaminated a shallow sand aquifer. At the study site, the geology was well‐characterized and the migration of the contaminant plume was monitored by a network of 15 wells.Although the rate of release of the industrial solvents to the aquifer was unknown, the model gave a good prediction of the movement of the plume when the release of contaminants was modeled as a point source injection. The model was also successful in simulating the behavior of the plume under the influence of a recovery system. During simulation of a four‐well withdrawal system, model predictions of TCE concentrations and hydraulic head in the aquifer matched actual data collected at two points in time after start‐up of the recovery system. The model predicted that the same configuration of withdrawal wells would reduce concentrations of TCE in the ground water from approximately 1000 μg/1 to 6 μg/1 after two years