Project Summary

Solid Waste Management
DESIGN OF LEACHATE COLLECTION, CONVEYANCE AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM-DESIGN OF LEACHATE MONITORING SYSTEM, PREFECTURE OF SERRES

Client: Municipal Enterprise of Water Supply of Serres, Prefecture of Serres
Year: 1994

ISSUE

The purpose of the project was the design of the required woks for leachate management and the design of the monitoring system for the restoration and upgrade of the existing sanitary landfill area in Municipality of Serres.

SOLUTION                                                            
                                                                            View of the restored landfill areaΔ.Σ.Α
Firstly, the design study presents the meteorological and hydrological data in the broader area which are the main contributing factors to the generation of leachate.

Secondly, the leachate generation parameters were analyzed and the daily generated leachate volume was estimated. Then, a reference was made to the basic leachate treatment methods.

Next, the following leachate collection works were presented:

• Abduction of leachate from the interior of the landfill, by opening shafts and wells of appropriate cross-section and a depth equal to the deposits depth. The upper part of the wells is closed but the leachate level is visible. Submersible pumps are installed at the bottom of the wells to collect the leachate which is conveyed through a pipe into a common leachate collection reservoir downstream of the landfill area. Downstream of the collection reservoir, a gravel-graded filter bed is constructed for retention of the suspended material which escapes from the reservoir. At the exit of the filter bed, a chamber is constructed for the installation of the pumping system. From there, the semi-treated leachate is pumped to the ground disposal filter upstream of the landfill.
• Flood-protection works, for draining the deposit surface which included appropriate slope formation of the finished grade and construction of a perimetric stormwater ditch. The collected water downstream of the landfill is disposed into the existing torrent. To prevent polluting the torrent, a monitoring well was installed at the exit of the stormwater ditch.

Moreover, for monitoring the landfill for leachate seepage, the following works are suggested:

• Opening of a network of wells inside and outside the sanitary landfill area
• Chemical analysis and sampling program
• Data collection, analysis and management using specific hardcopy forms and a properly designed computer database
• Monitoring of groundwater quality and timely warning system of potential water pollution

BENEFIT

The design of the project contributed to the resolution of the environmental pollution from the leachate seepage at the sanitary landfill in the Prefecture of Serres.