Dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPL) such as perchloroethylene (PCE) have posed a significant threat to the environment and drinking water extracted from aquifers. Potable water aquifer are usually located below phreatic aquifers and separated by some type of confining layer. However, DNAPLs can potentially penetrate deep into a phreatic aquifer and possibly pool on top of the confining layer. DNAPL pools and residual present a source of long term contamination above and below the capillary fringe, which are not readily reduced by classical pump-and-treat remediation. We focused our study on the removal of PCE from the partially saturated zone above the capillary fringe and a smaller portion of the zone below the capillary fringe using surfactants to enhance the pump-and-treat technique and how hydraulic control of the surfactant flood affected PCE removal. For this study, a fine sand was packed into a large two-dimensional flow container between two coarse sand layers. PCE spills were applied to the top/center of the flow container and allowed to redistribute until mechanical equilibrium was reached. The porous medium was then flushed with surfactant (Triton X-100, 4.0% by volume), simultaneously effluent samples were collected and analyzed for PCE. Volumetric water and PCE content values were determined by means of dual-energy gamma radiation measurements periodically over the duration of the experiment. Upon flushing with surfactants, the upper portion of the porous medium was rapidly cleaned, but a large amount of PCE remained in the fine layer. During the experiment only a small portion of the contamination in the fine layer was affected by the surfactant plume until the pumping configuration was changed and the surfactant plume broadened. Lateral spreading of the surfactant plume was visualized as water drained from the capillary fringe because of the reduced interfacial tensions. Lateral spreading allowed for PCE contaminated micelles to move away from the surfactant plume and into regions where no contamination existed previously. PCE removal in the unsaturated zone was successful using surfactants, however a lack of hydraulic control of the surfactant plume allowed contamination of previously uncontaminated zones.