Leachate Collection System

Jae K. (Jim) Park

Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Leachate Collection System (1)

Designed as containment facilities due to concern with the

environment impact of landfills

Needed to prevent landfill gas and leachate from migrating
from the site in significant quantities
Purpose: to collect leachate for treatment or alternative
disposal and to reduce the depths of leachate buildup or
level of saturation over the low-permeability liner.
Underdrain system: constructed prior to landfilling and
consists of a drainage system that remove the leachate
from the base of the fill.
Peripheral system: installed after landfilling, constructed
around the edge of the disposal area, and used to control
leachate seeps through the face of the landfill.
2

Leachate Collection System (2)

Drainage tile Refuse
Low permeability
barrier

Drainage layer
Undisturbed
native material

Simple collection system

Drainage tile Refuse
Drainage layer
Low permeability
barrier

Undisturbed
native material
Double liner system
3

Leachate Collection System

with Graded Terraces
Sloped intercepting
Leachate
leachate collection pipe
collection pipe
(see detail below)

Leachate
movement

Sloped terraces

Liner
Perforated leachate
collection pipe

Protective
soil layer
Geotextile filter
fabric

Sand drainage
layer
Geomembrane
Geotextile filter
liner
fabric
Extra geomembrane
Washed gravel
(optional)
(1~2 in.) Compacted clay
layer

Schematic of Various Leachate

Discharge Pathways
Infiltration
Optional
toe drain
Leachate
seep
through
face

Toe
seepage

Toe
seepage

Leachate to
groundwater

Leachate
collection
tiles

Leachate Seep Remediation

Landfill cover
Granular toedrainage
collection

Refuse

Peripheral
toe-drainage
collection
6

Components of LCS
Refuse

French drain
Tile drain
Drainage layer
Low permeable
liner
Undisturbed
native material

K of drainage layer: min. 10-3 cm/sec; 10-2 desirable

Drainage layer gravel should be washed to remove fines; no

limestone-based aggregate
French drain: used in the event of pipe failure or clogging;
gravel pack
Additional containment and/or leak detection system

Leachate Collection System Layouts

130 ft

Clean-out access point

S = 1~5%

1200 ft

S = 2~5%
Min. 2%
8

Schematic of Clean-Out System

Final grade

Access
manhole

Refuse
Drainage blanket

Solid pipe
Perforated pipe
9

Leachate Collection System

Slotted leachate Clay berm
collection pipe

First cell to be
developed

Leachate
collection line

Slotted pipe
connected to
leachate removal
system
Solid waste

Geomembrane

Stormwater
collection line
Clay berm (2 ft)

Clay liner (3 ft)

Sand layer

Slotted leachate collection pipe

10

Storm Water Management in Area

Type Landfill

11

Leachate Removal System

Pipe passed through
side of landfill
Potential leakage:
Not recommended

Leachate removed
with a pump
Most widely used
12

Leachate Collection Facilities

Leachate collection and
transmission vault

Leachate holding tank

13

Leachate Collection Facilities

Above grade

Below grade
Used in
cold regions
14

Role of LCS Components (1)

Barrier layer: a very low-permeability synthetic

or natural soil liner to restrict and control the rate

of vertical downward flow of liquids
Drainage layer: a high permeability gravel
drainage layer to laterally drain the liquid to the
collector drain pipes; at least 30 cm thick with a
min. K of 10-3 cm/sec
Slope: to encourage lateral migration; min. 2%
bottom final slope after long-term settling

15

Role of LCS Components (2)

French drains and tiles: maximize the amount of

leachate diverted to, and collected by the tile drains;

subangular gravel with UC < 4 and max. of 2 in.;
two or more rows of holes at the 2 and 10 oclock
positions; min. slope of 0.5% and min. of 6 in.
Filter layer: granular or synthetic, used above the
drainage layer to reduce the potential for migration of
fines into the drainage layer
Fine soil or refuse: K of 10-4 cm/sec; 2 ft (0.7 m)
thick layer to cushion the engineered system against
damage and act as a filter
UC: Uniformity coefficient = d60/d10

16

Design Considerations for Tile Spacing

Why? To control the height of a mound of leachate
Design considerations
Flow rate or flux of leachate impinging on the

barrier layer
Spacing between the tiles
Slope of the liner
Thickness and hydraulic conductivity of the
drainage layer
If the tiles are separated by too large a distance, the
leachate mound will penetrate back up into the refuse,
resulting in increase in the hydraulic gradient and
consequently increase in leachate seepage.
17

Analytical Formulations for Tile Spacing

Mathematical models to examine a series of design

considerations including:

Depth, hydraulic conductivity, and slope of the drainage

layer
Thickness of the low-permeability barrier layer
Two measures of hydraulic performance: max. saturated
depth over the barrier and amount of leakage through the
barrier

Leachate mounding: function of liner slope, leachate

infiltration rate, permeability of drainage and barrier

layers, and drainage tile spacing
Assumptions in mathematical formulation

Flow is one direction (lateral).

Saturated steady-state flow conditions exist.
The drainage media are homogeneous and isotropic.

18

Continuous-Slope Formulation (1)

Apex

D-L
D

P
Z

L
Apex
y(x) z(x)

yo
Drain

Liner

Drain

x
D
19

Continuous-Slope Formulation (2)

zx = sx + yx

(10.1)

where: zx = static head at location x (m);

s = slope of the liner (radians);
x = horizontal distance (m); and
yx = depth of flow at location
x (m).
dz
dz
Q KA
KyW
dx
dx

(10.2)

where: K = hydraulic conductivity of the media (m/sec)

A = cross-sectional area of flow (m2);
W = width (m); and
dz/dx = gradient of static head (m/m).
At steady state, Qx = (L - x)pW (10.3)
where: p = rate of infiltration of moisture (m/sec).

20

Continuous-Slope Formulation (3)

Assuming a unit width of aquifer and combining Eqs. 10.2 and
10.3 yields:
dy
(L x) p W KyWs KyW
(10.4)
dx
where = p/K, w = L - x, and y = vw.
-dw
vdv
(10.5)

w
v 2 - sv
Solving the preceding equation and invoking the boundary
condition y(0) = yo, yields three conditional cases:
Apex

Case I: 4 > s2
Drain tile

Case II: 4 = s2
Low permeable liner
Case III: 4 < s2
21

Continuous-Slope Formulation (4)

Case I: 4 > s2

yo
y
s o
L
L

x L 1

Lx

exp

2y o
s

s
1
L
tan
2
4 s 2
4 s

Case II: 4 = s2

x L

Case III: 4 < s2

tan

2y

s
Lx

2
4 s

(10.6)

yo
2y o
2
s

L
L exp
1
2y
2y

s
s o
L-x
L

yo
y
s o
L
L

x L 1

Lx

exp

L-x
2y

L
x

(10.7)
(10.8)

2y o

2y

s
s

s
tanh 1 L x

tanh 1 L
2
2
2
s - 4
s - 4
4 s

22

Example
p = 15.2 cm/yr (6 inches/yr); K = 10-3 cm/sec; max.

allowable mound depth = 0.3 m; drainage tile spacing 30

m; min. slope of the liner?

61 cm/yr

30 cm/yr

7.6 cm/yr

15.2 cm/yr

2.5 cm/yr

23

Flat-Slope Configuration (Worst Scenario)

When the slope of the liner system equals zero, Eq. 10.6
becomes:
Dx x 2

y y 02 2

ymax occurs at x = D/2. From DEq. 10.9,

D ymax
p becomes:
y

max

(10.9)

(10.10)

Ex. Determine ymax using Eq. 10.10 for a 30 m tile drain spacing,
a drainage layer hydraulic conductivity of 10-3 cm/sec, a
percolation rate of 7.6 cm/yr, and zero liner slope.
30 m
7.6 cm / yr
Solution:
y

max

10 3 cm / sec 3600sec / hr 24hr / day 365day / yr

= 0.23 m
24

Sawtooth Formulation (1)

Apex

L=D/2

L=D/2
D
P

x
d

Q(x)
Liner

Drain

L=D/2
25

Sawtooth Formulation (2)

Based on the Dupuit assumption for unconfined flow, the
differential equation governing the steady drainage on a
sloping barrier is:
dy
(10.11)
Ky
s px 0
dx
This is equivalent to Eq. 10.4 with transformation of the
origin (i.e., xsawtooth = L - xcontinuous). Transforming Eq.
10.11 by substituting the expressions xo = x/L, yo = y/L,
and yo* = yo/L, defining u* = yo/xo, substituting u*x* for y*,
and then separating variables leads to:
dx *
u * du *
*2
*
x
u su * a

(10.12)
26

Sawtooth Formulation (3)

Case II

Case I

Case III

Alternative mathematical eqs. for determining ymax

y max

y max

tan 2s tans
2

D tan 2s
tans

1
2

(Moore, 1983)

tan s

(Richardson and
Koerner, 1987)
27

Sawtooth Formulation (4)

Case I: 4 > s2
x
*

- sy *o y *o
- su u
*

4 s

*2

exp

2y *o s
tan

2
2
4 s
4 s

2u * s

tan

(10.13)

Case II: 4 = s2

s - 2y *o
2s(y *o u * )
x
exp
*
*
*
s - 2u
(s
2y
)(s

2u
)
o

(10.14)

Case III: 4 < s2

x
*

- sy y
*
o

- su u
*

*2
o
*2

(2y s A)(2u s A)

*
(2y

A)(2u

A)

*
o
*
o

2
2A

(10.15)

Where A s 2 4 ; x * x/L; y * y/L; y *o y o /L; u * y * /x *

28

Calculated Max. Mound Depth

Tile
spacing,m Slope,%
0
1
2
100
3
4
5
0
1
2
50
3
4
5

McEnroe,
1989
1.545
1.225
1.010
0.855
0.740
0.650
0.772
0.612
0.505
0.427
0.370
0.325

Moore,
1983
1.542
1.121
0.838
0.651
0.526
0.437
0.771
0.561
0.419
0.326
0.263
0.219

Richardsonand
Koerner,1987
1.542
1.179
0.999
0.909
0.861
0.833
0.771
0.589
0.499
0.454
0.430
0.417

P = 30 cm/yr; K = 10-3 cm/sec; yo = 0

29

Max. Mound Depth vs. Slope

Continuous-slope configuration
Lower mound depth
Saw-tooth configuration
Better

p = 15.2 cm/yr; K = 10-3 cm/sec

30

Impact of Drain Tile Failure

Continuous-slope
configuration
Greater mound
depth: more problem
Saw-tooth
configuration
31

Max. Mound Depth vs. Slope

32

Wisconsin Regulations
NR 504.06(5)(a) Wisconsin Administrative Code

(WAC):
12 inches of average leachate head over the liner
< 130 ft drain spacing
NR 512.12(3) WAC:
Open conditions: p = 6 inches/yr = 0.5 inch/month
Closed conditions: p = 1 inch/yr = 0.083 inch/month
Factors affecting the leachate mount height
Percolation rate into the drainage layer
Hydraulic conductivity of the drainage layer
Leachate flow distance from the upstream boundary
to the leachate collection pipe
Slope of the landfill liner
33

McEnroe Method
R = p/Ksin2 < 1/4

R (1 2RS)
2R (S 1)
Ymax
exp

1 2R
(
1

2
RS
)(
1

2
R
)

1/ 2 A
R = 1/4
2 2 (1 A 2R )(1 A 2RS )
Ymax (R RS R S )

(
1

2
R
)(
1

2
RS
)

R > 1/4
1
1
2 2
1 2RS 1
1 2R 1
Ymax R RS R S exp tan
tan

B B

B
B
p = percolation rate per unit surface area (cm3/sec/cm2);
S = tan = slope of liner (ft/ft); = slope angle;
K = hydraulic conductivity (cm/sec); A = (1-4R)0.5; B = (4R-1)0.5;
L = drainage distance, measured horizontally (ft); and
ymax = Ymax (L tan) = maximum saturated depth (ft).
McEnroe, B.M. (1989). Steady Drainage of Landfill Covers and Bottom
Liners, Jour. of Envion. Eng., ASCE, 115(6): 1114-1122.
McEnroe, B.M. (1993). Maximum Saturated Depth over Landfill Liner,
Jour. of Envion. Eng., ASCE, 119(2): 262-270.

34

Performance Measures
Residence Time, T

Ks'
v
n

L Ln
T
v Ks'

where s = slope approximated by the bottom slope, m/m.

Efficiency of Capture

dh
V K At
dz

d y max
V
KAt
d
ymax: Max. height of leachate mound
d: Thickness of low permeable layer
Undisturbed native material
35

Breakthrough Time
d

d 2n e
t
K(d h)

K = permeability coefficient, L/T;

ne = effective porosity;
d = liner thickness, L; and
h = leachate mound height.
Example:ne=0.4;d=4ft;h=1ft;
K=110-7 cm/sec = 0.103 ft/yr
d 2ne
42 0.4
t

12.4 yrs
K(d h) 0.103 (4 1)
36

Clogging Problems
Occur in agricultural irrigation, weeping tile systems,

sanitary landfills, septic system leachate fields, and the like.

Remedial measures
Smaller-diameter lines (15~30 cm): cables
> 30 cm lines: rodding equipment
Max. 300 m between access ports or manholes
Removal mechanisms
Mechanical procedures: roto-routers, pigs, sewer balls,
snakes, and buckets
Low-pressure jets: 70 to 140 psi at nozzle
High-pressure jets: 410 to 1300 psi at nozzle
Chemical methods: such as SO 2 gas; some danger
37

Weeping Tile
Two types
Helical profile

Annular profile

38

Pipe
Cleaning
Method

Rodding equipment

39

Bucket Machines - the only

sure way to remove sand,
solids, or sludge from storm &
sanitation pipelines. Needs no
water to create a vacuum slurry.
Cost-effective.
40

Snakes

Sewer ball

41

Other Design Considerations

Collector sizing and type: at least 15 cm

diameter; min. 22.5 cm, preferably 30 cm to reduce

the effects of silting and to facilitate inspection and
cleaning; schedule 80 PVC or HDPE
Collector slope: 2% if practical but not < 0.5%
Collector perforations: at 2 and 10 oclock
positions
French drain around the collector pipe: 38 to 50
mm washed stone
Attention to field construction practices: within
pipes, accumulation of deposits may occur in areas
of hydraulic perturbation such as where pipe joins
have been poorly installed
42

Leachate Collection Pipe

[Link]

Drainage
Couplers and
Diameter: 4" ~ 36" Fittings
Length: 20"

43

AdvanEDGE is a panel shape pipe offered in 12" and 18"

heights, and in coils up to 400 ft. The primary benefit of its
panel design is quick drainage response after introduction of
water, making it ideal for time-critical applications such as
high-traffic road and track beds.
44