Oh Leachate, Let Me Count the Ways

Oh Leachate, Let Me Count the Ways a Lanchester Landfill Perspective
Robert F. Hasemeier, P.E.
Senior Managing Engineer
March 9, 2015
A Good Neighbor Since 1984
CCSWA was formed
in 1984 when it
purchased the private
landfill that began in
the 1960s. The
landfill straddles the
Chester and
Lancaster County
boundaries.
Lanchester LF Visitor Features
Former
overlook and
existing trails at
Lanchester LF
receives 75-150
visitors per
weekend. Due
to the height of
the landfill, the
vista extends for
10-12 miles.
Spectacular View from Landfill
PA Route 23 View From Farms
Historic & Amish
Some local features date back to
the Revolutionary War
So much land… so little useable
Besides being a bald spot on the
mountain, the Lanchester Landfill is
uniquely situated in one of a handful of
forested areas of Lancaster County.
Money Rocks Park is just to the left in this
photo. Lancaster farming is renowned
and is home to many Amish people.
Scenic Byway, PA Route 23 is to the
north of this photo.
Treatment plant is middle left in photo.
Typical Landfill in Most Ways
PA Leachate Treatment Regs 1
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§ 273.272. Basic treatment methods.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, leachate shall be collected
and handled by direct discharge into a permitted publicly-owned treatment
works, following pretreatment, if pretreatment is required by Federal, State
or local law or by discharge into another permitted treatment facility.
(b) Leachate may be collected and handled by onsite treatment and
discharge into a receiving stream under a permit issued by the Department
under The Clean Streams Law (35 P. S. § § 691.1—691.1001) and
regulations thereunder, if the Department approves this method in a
municipal waste landfill permit. This method will not be allowed unless, at a
minimum, direct discharge into a publicly-owned treatment works or other
permitted facility is not practicable.
PA Leachate Treatment Regs 2
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(c) Leachate may be collected and handled by spray irrigation following
treatment. This method will not be allowed unless, at a minimum:
(1) Discharge into a publicly-owned treatment works or other permitted
treatment facility is not practicable.
(2) Discharge of treated leachate into a receiving stream in a manner
consistent with The Clean Streams Law and regulations thereunder is not
attainable.
(3) Spray irrigation will not cause groundwater pollution.
TRUCKING ???
§ 273.273. Leachate transportation.
ONLY if treatment is in place.
Plenty of Topographic Relief
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PADEP regs require 30
days of leachate storage.
2 tanks of 850,000 gallons each with
aeration.
2 ponds for groundwater storage with
aeration.
350,000 gallon SBR tank.
Conestoga River Discharge Location
50,000 GPD from treatment
plant + 20,000 GPD treated
groundwater
1.8 mile pipe to river
Let us Begin Counting
Original Leachate Treatment
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Physical/ Chemistry treatment
Metal hydroxide sludge
SBR for organics
Carbon filter
Sand filter
Chlorination
Discharge to Conestoga River
About 1998 treatment results began to
change…not good!
SBR Challenges…1998-2000
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Leachate flows decreased significantly,
especially in winter.
Strength of leachate dropped.
Ammonia bacteria disappeared in the winter
and did not come back until late spring.
Leachate was to cold to support healthy
bacteria population.
Adding food and alkanlity adjustment was not
working.
2000 - 2001
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PADEP allows leachate recirculation.
 17,000 GPD
PADEP allows trucking.
 15,000 to 25,000 GPD average
PADEP allows SBR to be mothballed/ dismantled.
PADEP recants decisions… landfill MUST have treatment
plant.
Begin Leachate Recirculation
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Landfill constructs 1,000 LF
trenches.
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Dry Zones.
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Leachate outbreaks.
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Short circuit.
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CCSWA requires a better method
of disposing of leachate.
Need a better method high flows
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Spring and Fall system overload.
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SBR clogging.
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Leachate recirculation not working
as desired.
Trucking is the answer…Exeter
POTW.
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PADEP agrees.
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…for now.
2001-2002
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CCSWA examines non-bio systems for leachate
treatment.
CCSWA selects DynaTec UF/RO system.
 Design flow 10.6 gpm/ 14,400 GPD
 Operates at 2,500-3,500 GPD
 After modifications, still less than 4,000 GPD
PADEP informed that trucking and leachate recirculation
will continue.
DynaTec
Ultrafiltration (40 micron) &
Reverse Osmosis.
2002-2004
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Polymers? Coagulants to precipitate the solids and
metals.
 One of the additives breached the system… vendor
said this not possible.
Pre chlorinate due to anaerobic reaction.
 Helped flow, but expensive.
 Discontinued due to damage to UF modules.
Leachate pipe to New Holland?
Lanchester LFG Project – 13 mile pipe to Honey Brook, PA
PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION >> active and former railroad.
2003-2004
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New Holland does not want leachate
…pipe not added to LFG trench.
2005-2010
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Notify PADEP that trucking & recirculation are required.
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Continue to get DynaTec up to design flow.
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Evaluate possible modifications.
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Leachate evaporation?
 Use waste heat from LFG engines.
Reduce leachate via grading & capping.
2010 - 2011
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Added 2 more modules to existing UF.
 No change in performance.
 Fouling determined to be the problem.
RO determined to be okay.
Discontinue trench recirculation in favor of blanket...
50’x100’x4’ deep with center pipe… better than trenches.
Begin feasibility to Honey Brook POTW.
2013-2014
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Pilot lamella unit w/ polymer & coagulant.
 Did not help.
Hollow fiber RO unit converted to hollow tube RO… did
not function better.
Received constructed wetland proposals.
 Need land… flat land and site is topo challenged.
Evaluate routes for Honey Brook POTW connection.
Honey Brook POTW
2014-2015
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Honey Brook rejects leachate…for now.
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Old rail bed not available for pumped leachate.
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Significant capital investment required to accept
leachate.
Concern over high dissolved solids and
ammonia.
River Basin Transfers
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Landfill straddles drainage
divide.
 Susquehanna (SRBC)
 Delaware (DRBC)
Fees to SRBC $0.32 per 1,000
gallons.
1,640,000 gallons in 2014 for
consumptive water use per
SRBC.
2015
Pre-mixing and filter.
First Filter
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Filter the solids
prior to the UF.
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CCSWA still
working on
achieving design
flow.
Discharge Permit
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Flow
pH
Chlorine
TSS (monitor)
CBOD5 (monitor)
Total Phosphorus (2 mg/l avg)
Fecal coliform (200 avg)
Total iron (monitor)
Disolved iron (7.4 #/day OR 13 mg/l avg)
Numbers
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Trucking an average of 24,000 GPD to Exeter
POTW for $0.053 per gallon T&D
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On-site treatment is $0.12- $0.15 per gallon
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PADEP requires a treatment plant
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In 2014:
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Hauled 8,000,000 gallons
Treated 612,000 gallons
Recirculated 1,600,000 gallons
Disclaimers
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CCSWA is still trying to
achieve design flows of
treatment plant.
No microbes or
engineers were harmed
during the preparation
of this presentation.
Question & Answer Session
Thanks to Gary Laird and Bob Watts
at CCSWA!