If you have to choose between on-site and off-site landfill leachate treatment in a sewer plant (municipal wastewater treatment) or even a commercially operated industrial effluent treatment plant, which one should you choose?

Okay, here we go! On the one hand, there is Pro; In favor:

The main point in favor of on-site versus off-site landfill leachate treatment is that it is more efficient to treat the leachate in a dedicated treatment plant that has been specifically designed for the high strength of a modern landfill leachate.

Your second fulcrum will be that the investment profile more closely resembles a landfill business in which a leachate plant built up front can be paid for with the revenue (entry fee revenue and landfill gas revenue) generated while the landfill is actively being filled. If someone else treats the leachate off-site, it will be per cubic meter treated for 30 to 50 years or more. But, after the site has been shut down, revenue drops, and soon there is only money earmarked for treatment to pay for it. Therefore, it is much better to invest in the asset of an on-site treatment plant that will be in use for many years after the initial investment, so that only running costs have to be paid once the landfill closes. and the income from the landfill to pay for the leachate plant dries up.

The third positive point is that the owner of an on-site leachate treatment plant has a much safer disposal route for his leachate than for an optional off-site treatment plant, because the external service provider may no longer accept the download with little notice.

A fourth major benefit is that it is more efficient to treat leachate treatment in a dedicated plant optimized for that purpose than in a sewer or industrial effluent plant, where both are often better suited to treat more dilute or lower-concentration effluents.

Finally, the fifth fulcrum is going to be ((6))).

And conversely, to balance, the side With, against:

The first point against on-site versus off-site leachate treatment will be that site owners and environmental regulators (EA, EPA, Water Purification Board, River Management Authority), etc., are often concerned that an on-site leachate treatment plant could fail and discharge contaminated water into a river or stream. Although, this can be avoided with good design and training of site personnel in the operation of the leachate treatment plant.

The second point against it will be that the landfill company may find it difficult to finance the capital cost of an on-site leachate treatment plant (although an increase in the entry fee to pay for it might be possible)

The third point against will be the lack of space, which is unlikely in a large landfill.

The fourth point against will be the cost of bringing in an energy supply for the leachate treatment plant, although a supply line and electricity are generally already available from the landfill gas (waste energy) generators on site.

Fifth and last point, the last point against will be the lack of advance planning of the landfill to make the right decisions to save money on an on-site leachate treatment plant over a long-term period.

Now both sides have been heard and the Pros and Cons are stacked, for and against.

So who won? What could we conclude? Is on-site landfill leachate treatment better than bad? or more bad than good?

We have a “Yes” answer to both questions! on-site landfill leachate treatment versus off-site treatment is a decision that will vary according to the circumstances of each landfill, and the debate is a mix of good and bad … You dear reader will need to determine which side, good or bad, outperforms the other for your site.