Treatment of Landfill Leachate At Publicly Owned Treatment Works

Abstract

This project investigates the discharge of landfill leachate into a municipal wastewater collection system with subsequent treatment at the municipal treatment plant. Leachates from disposal sites can be mixed with municipal wastewater and treated by wastewater treatment plants using secondary aerobic treatment. The leachates are effluents, high in organic content which are in many instances similar to industrial effluents. Experimental studies with simulated landfill leachate have shown that if a wastewater treatment plant is to accept this type of effluent, the following conditions must be met. First, air supply and oxygen transfer capacity must be sufficient to maintain aerobic conditions within the aeration basin with the increase in the organic loads. Second, sufficient nutrient concentrations (especially phosphorus) must be observed in order to maintain necessary operating conditions.