Liners are placed at the bottom of landfills as a protective barrier between the wastes and groundwater supplies. Leachate collection systems are piping mechanisms that capture and pump any accumulated water from the bottom of the landfill to treatment sites. State legislation has mandated that Ohio counties form management districts for the efficient and effective disposal of solid waste. Such districts can be made up of multiple or single counties. The availability of landfill space is often a significant concern for local officials.
Many areas are geologically unsuitable for landfill construction and operation.
Public concern over siting may also make it difficult to find an acceptable location. In many places, these factors combine to result in a shortage of available landfill space. In some areas of the country, particularly in the Northeast, many communities must ship their wastes long distances for landfill disposal, which sharply drives up consumer costs. This suggests that available landfill space be carefully conserved so that a facility's lifespan can be extended as long as possible. However, this is not always possible.