These landfills typically range in size from 50 to 250 acres and receive from 100 to 500 tons per day of solid waste. Recently adopted state policy will require the installation of impermeable caps, liners and leachate collection and treatment systems at all new SLF's to prevent release of leachate to surface and ground water. These additional measures are expected to approximately double the overall cost of solid waste disposal. The greatest increase in costs will occur during the initial site development stage, increasing the cost of starting up a new sanitary landfill by roughly a factor of ten.
Sanitary landfills generate leachate, a complex mixture of organic and inorganic pollutants.
The exact composition of the leachate will depend on site specific environmental conditions including the waste composition, pH, temperature, nutrients, and degree of decomposition. Current research suggests that landfills can be managed to reduce the production of leachate and enhance the attenuation of pollutants during transport through the subsurface. A statistical analysis of existing surface and ground water monitoring data from 71 municipal sanitary landfills was performed to assess the impact of N.C. SLF's on surface and ground water quality. A total of 322 surface and 411 ground water quality records were analyzed using a computerized data analysis system. The severity of ground water contamination at SLF's appears to be highly variable.