Robust and reliable treatment of leachate at a closed landfill site in Sussex, UK

Abstract

As fewer new landfill sites are opened and operated, increasingly the management of older sites containing large masses of domestic wastes is becoming increasingly important. Safe treatment and disposal of leachates is generally a key issue, and at many older unlined sites, the ingress of rainfall or groundwater is a significant issue needing consideration. Such leachate can typically be relatively weak, but is characterised by large seasonal variations in generation rate, in response to winter rainfall. Results have wide application at many closed landfill sites, which are often located far from access into the public sewer, where on-site supervisory staff are no longer available, and where wide seasonal variations in leachate generation rates pose a particular challenge. By a combination of the robustness of the SBR treatment process, and incorporation of automated SCADA controls, with remote access, such plants can operate reliably with minimal operator inputs.