Environmental Protection - Modern Technologies protect effectively ground and surface water
Does a modern landfill pollute groundwater?
NO! Why? – The landfill is like a bathtub, absolutely impermeable with controlled outflow. The outflowing leachate is collected in a sealed, impermeable basin and is then cleaned through a highly efficient cleaning technology called ‘reverse osmosis’. The cleaned water complies with German discharge regulations. Reverse Osmosis is the best available technology and state of the art.
Collection of leachate in a sealed pond
All occuring leachate of the landfill is drained through the drainage system installed under the landfill and then collected in a leachate pond.
Processing of leachate in a reverse osmosis treatment station
Modern reverse osmosis treatment stations can extract 70 litres clean water out of 100 litres leachate. The remaining 30 litres are disposed back on the landfill in a controlled process and remain there.
Clean water after reverse osmosis treatment
The reverse osmosis treatment is highly effective and cleans the water completely from toxic substances.
The technological steps to seal a landfill completely
The technology nowadays used for constructing the sealing layers and installing the leachate drainage systems on the ground level of a landfill are tested and proved now for decades in many countries.
Shape and compact the landfill basin
The ground for the landfill is excavated and heavily compacted and two clay layers build the base of the sealing system. Exact inclination towards defined points assures flow of leachate to the collection points.
Complete coverage of the landfill basin with foil
Impermeable foil (technical term: “HDPE Geomembrane”) is covering completely the ground basin of the landfill
Weld and check
Experienced and skilled workers weld the foil pieces together to one single piece. All welding seams are checked and proofed with air pressure.
Protective membrane plus 50 cm gravel layer
A highly protective white foil (technically: ‘Geotextile’) is covering the impermeable Geomembrane and is then covered with a 50 cm layer of gravel. This assures leachate flowing to the drain and collection pipes.
Leachate drain pipes under gravel in sand bed
These drain and collection pipes are put in sandbed and then covered with gravel. Leachate flows to the outflow point through natural gravity.
Leachate outflow pipe carefully welded into foil
The outflow connection pipes are tightly welded into the impermeable foil. They are the outflow of the ‘big bathtub’.
