Improve Landfill Design With Continuous Water Level Monitoring

Long-term groundwater level measurements at solid waste landfill sites are used to determine highest measured groundwater levels and rainfall/recharge relationships. Landfill design engineers and regulatory agencies use this data to assess the feasibility of expanding landfill sites and to develop site-specific design requirements.

Before a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill can be expanded, hydrogeologists and engineers must evaluate groundwater conditions and behavior. These studies fulfill state and federal regulatory requirements and improve engineering plans. Hydrogeological landfill assessments determine:

• Site-specific geology and hydrogeology of the subsurface materials beneath the expansion area
• Uppermost aquifer dynamics and potential presence of perched saturated zones
• Groundwater confining units
• Groundwater quantity and quality
• Site-specific rainfall/recharge relationships
• Potential contaminant migration pathways
• Site-specific landfill liner design and underdrain issues
• Optimum locations and depths for groundwater monitoring systems.