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Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance

(HELP) Model

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The Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP V 4.0) model is a

quasi-two-dimensional hydrologic model of water movement across, into, through
and out of landfills. It estimates water balances for landfills and other land
disposal systems. The program models rainfall, runoff, infiltration, and other
water pathways to estimate how much water builds up above each landfill liner.
The model considers design parameters. It can incorporate data on:

vegetation;
soil types;
geosynthetic materials;
initial moisture conditions;
layer thicknesses;
slopes; and
drain spacing and liner placement.

A Hydrological Evaluation Tool with Many Uses

Landfill closures
Use of the HELP model is required by the EPA to evaluate closure designs
of hazardous and nonhazardous waste management facilities.

Design evaluation and permitting

More than 2,000 private engineering offices in more than a dozen countries
use the model for landfill design evaluation and regulatory permitting
actions. Over 200 offices of federal, state, and municipal governmental
agencies use it for these purposes as well.

Training and research

This model is used for training and research at more than 50 universities.

Current Model HELP V4.0

The HELP model was developed for the EPA by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Waterways Experiment Station. This was done under a cooperative
agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support RCRA and
Superfund programs. The current version of the HELP model (Version 4.0) was
developed by EPA ORD’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency
Management. The model applies to open, partially closed, and fully closed sites.
Landfill systems can be modeled that include various combinations of:

vegetation;
cover soils;
waste cells;
lateral drain layers;
low permeability barrier soils; and
synthetic geomembrane liners.

The model calculates daily, monthly, annual, and average annual estimates. It
estimates amounts of:

runoff;
evapotranspiration;
drainage;
leachate collection; and
liner leakage.

Specifications

HELP v4.0 uses an Excel workbook with embedded macros to support the user
interface. It has been tested for use in Excel 2007 (Windows operating system)
and higher and works on 64-bit processers. HELP V4.0 requires that Microsoft
Excel 2007 or higher is installed. This updated version of the software will run on
64-bit systems with Microsoft Excel software.

Downloads

HELP Model 4.0.1 (15 MB, 10/06/2020)

HELP 4.0 User Manual

Documentation to Learn More About HELP

US EPA. (2017) Walkthrough to Install and Operate the Hydrologic Evaluation of

Landfill Performance (HELP) Model, Version 3.07.

US EPA. (1984) Hydrologic Evaluation Of Landfill Performance (HELP) Model,

Volume 1 (PDF). Publication No. EPA/530/SW-84/009.

US EPA. (1984) Hydrologic Evaluation Of Landfill Performance (HELP) Model

Volume 2 (PDF). Publication No. EPA/530/SW-84/010.

US EPA. (1994) Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) Model:

A (Set Includes, A- User's Guide for Version 3 w/disks, B-Engineering
Documentation for Version 3) (PDF). Publication No. EPA/600/R-94/168A, 1994

US EPA. (1994) Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) Model B

(Set Includes, A- User's Guide for Version 3 w/disks, B-Engineering
Documentation for Version 3) (PDF). Publication No. EPA/600/R-94/168b, 1994
US EPA. (1988) Verification Of The Hydrologic Evaluation Of Landfill
Performance (HELP) Model Using Field Data. Project Summary. Publication No.
EPA/600/S2-87/050

US EPA. (1987) Verification of the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill

Performance (HELP) Model Using Field Data. Report. NTIS PB87-227518

LAST UPDATED ON OCTOBER 13, 2020