Landfills create leachate, a liquid that seeps from waste, which is highly hazardous and can contaminate groundwater. SRK Consulting, an international consulting firm that offers technical services to the natural resource industries, posit that through monitoring groundwater municipalities can manage this contaminant.
“Groundwater monitoring is a legislative requirement, but it is often done simply to ‘tick the box’ in the compliance process,” argues Richard O’Brien.
“To effectively mitigate risk, it is essential that this monitoring is conducted scientifically and diligently – and that the data is analysed correctly so that the right actions can be taken.”
SRK is monitoring groundwater around landfill sites for several South African municipalities and waste management organisations, giving municipal managers and operators insights into contamination risks arising from leachate plumes under these facilities.
O’Brien explains when groundwater monitoring is done correctly the data can yield early warning signs which inform the intervention strategies of municipalities. “Key aspects of effective groundwater monitoring are, firstly, ensuring that the sampling is performed consistently and diligently, that analyses are accurate, and secondly, understanding how to interpret the results of these samples,” O’Brien noted. “These test results will help detect changes in the groundwater chemistry, for instance, warning municipalities of any signs of groundwater contamination".
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