Professional Documents
Culture Documents
VOL 5 9 • NO.· 4
\
'(\
Not anti-aircraft
but pro-people, this battery- ' \
they're sluice gates to control
Colora do River water en route
to Southern California
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1967 AWWA CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC CITY
JUNE 4-9
Influence of Sanitary Landfill on Ground
Water Quality
-----John R. Andersen and James N. Dornbush----
A paper presented on May 25, 1966, at the Annual Conference, Bal
Harboitr, Fla., by John R. Andersen, Assoc. Prof. of Civil Engineer-
ing, and James N. Dornbiisli, Prof. of Civil Engineeri11g, Civil En-
gineering Dept., South Dakota State Univ., Brookings, S01tth Dakota.
Fig. 1. Active Filling Area at the Refuse Disposal Site, Sep. 1963
1
The aerial view is towards the northeast showing the nearly level agricult1iral la11d
and the various farmsites that are upstream from the disposal site. The active dump-
ing area, a former grav el pit, is bounded on the west by a pond of water and masked
on the north by a shelter belt.
ter quality from chemical pollutants points at five different locations on the
that might affect future utilization of perimeter of the gravel pit area of the
the aquifer underlying the waste dis- site. Water samples were collected
posal site. It was this later obj ection periodically (approximate 3-rnonth in-
that caused the landowners their great- tervals) and analyzed at the state de-
est concern. partment of health laboratory.
In the development of the 160-acre In the fall of 1962, two years after
site, the city planted trees to mask the starting filling operations of the dis-
entire area and operated the site as a posal area, the results of the labora-
,4pr.1967 INFLUENCE OF SANITARY LA N DFILL 459
torY analyses. aflnd othder factors. wh~ch Therefore, instead of depositing all the
, have m uence contam111at1on refuse in a specially prepared trench,
uia} e evaluate d . 1' 111s
· eva 1uat1on
· esta 1J - th e refu se is usually sorted into three
ii•cr that t Iie genera 1 c1·1rect1on
fished · .. o f tie
I or four classes and clumped into di,f-
round water flow was app1:ox 1mately ferent areas. Combustible material is
gut itlnvest and revealed
-
that only slight
.
burned to reduce the volur'ne of refuse
0
. painnent of ground water quality
1111
before compaction. Each area receiv-
d ccurre d m
. t 11e area 11111ne
. d'1ateIy ing the different classes of refuse is
1 0
.~~ownstream" from the filled area. periodically compacted and covered to
•
t
1-11 1960
0 200 400
12-22 x 1964 I
23-31 0 1965 Scale in Feet
Level Recorder /;.
~·
B
"ii 11!3
0
26 •
,;.:===::.~"::.:.
0 l
24 2
3
0
28 .
22x
27
6 29 030
The 111ap shows the general layou.t of the refuse disposal site indicating the location of
the wells used for sampling, the pond, and the active fill area.
present, all the gravel pits have not level. Each well was pumped 5
been filled with refuse. Figure 1 min before sampling to insure that '
shows the general filling area as of sample was from the aquifer and a'
September 1963. not include any water that had ~ s
While consulting with the city of- standing in the pipe. A quart 831', t
ficials concerning the interpretation of ple was pumped into plastic hottt
the analysis of the water samples, it for transport to the laboratory.
was noted that during 1963 and 1964
increasing concentrations of certain
constituents ~ccurred. Spurred on by
the interest of the officials of the city
and the state health department a re-
search project was initiated by the
Civil Engineering Dept. of South Da-
kota State University, to obtain more
comprehensive information.
Methods
In Dec. 1964, eleven sampling points
were installed at five additional lo-
cations to augme11t the existing wells
and to study more completely the
movement of the ground water, the
leaching of the refuse dump, and the
effects of a small pond in the immediate
area of the fill on the chemical quality
of the ground water. Figure 2 is a
general layout of the refuse disposal
site showing the location of the sam-
pling wells, the pond, and the fill area.
Samples were taken every 3-4 wk Fig. 3. A Representative Profile of the
from Feb. to Jul. 1965. This resulted Soil Characteristics
in six different samples from each of An 8-in. pencil is shown with a soil pro- I
the 22 wells plus two samples from file of the disposal a.rea. Below the vege-
the pond. The pond was not sampled ta.tion is a 14-in. layer of all1wim11 fol-
during ice cover. The wells are located lowed b'y a 3-ft portion of the 23 ft of
in ten different general locations with gravel that 1t11derla:y the site. Th e maxi-
the pond water being considered as nmm size aggregate is appro:i:imately 3 i11.
the eleventh position. There are from _/
tely 1,200 feet downstream from the Confidence intervals at the 95 per
~~~ area. The quality of well 22 is cent and the 99 per cent level were
fl:nost comparable to the control wells selected to show reasonable significant
~vith only a slight increase-)n sodium difference. Students' "t" distribution
and chloride concentr.atiqn . . was used. If a parameter from an in-
dividual well sample was not within
Statistical Analysi$ the range of the control mean plus or
To compare the quality of individual mmus the confidence deviation, the
amples with those of the control wells, ground water was considered to be of
5
nd to determine if water quality different quality than that of the con-
~hanged with time, location, and depth, trol wells.
probability limits of possible variation Table 4 contains the number of times
for each pa rameter were determined various parameters exceeded the 95
using all of the data for the control per cent and 99 per cent confidence
wells, 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, and 11. The sam- limits of the control wells during six
ples for these six different wells were different dates for each of the test
taken on six different dates from two wells and two dates for the pond wa-
different locations; therefore, the stand- ter. This table reveals which param-
ard deviation from the mean would
eters were the most sensitive or most
include variation due to date, location,
and depth. The confidence limits for suitable to use as indicators for de-
the control wells are shown in Tabl e 3 tecting changes in ground water qual-
along with the mean value and stand- ity.
ard deviation from that mean for each The totals for each parameter were
parameter. adjusted so that they could be more
TABLE 2
Ch emical Quality of Gro1111d Water* at vVe/.l L ocations in the Vicini ty of the
Refuse Landfill at Brookings , S. Dak. Feb.-Jnl. 1965
Specific
Conduct - T otal Ca lcium Alka- Potas-
pH Nitrates Chlorides a nee Hardness Hardness linity Sodium Iron
(Mg/l) (M g/l) (Mhos@ (Mg/l) sium (Mg/l)
(Mg/l) (M g/l ) (M g(l) (1l1g/l)
25°C
x 10-•)
- --
Control 7.3 9.8 5.8 544 302 190 243 10. 2 0.16 O.D7
wells
7, 8 7.3 15.0 12.3 648 346 215 242 15.0 0.10 0.02
4 7.2 4.6 64.7 704 369 245 270 27.1 0.54 0.04
12, 13, 7.1 0 319.7 1695 578 293 471 219.4 2.79 4.35
14
5, 6 7.0 0 70.4 1054 558 336 401 64.4 0.63 0.06
Pond 8.8 0 71.0 806 278 104 178 76 .0 1.85 0.22
wa ler
15, 16 7.2 0 93.8 811 367 201 279 51.9 0.43 0.38
20, 21 7.5 3.7 19. 7 602 323 185 210 18.6 0.16 0.16
18, 19 7.4 0 37.7 572 293 177 229 20.4 0.14 0.25
22 7. 4 7.7 16.6 564 307 185 218 15.4 0.13 0.26
* Arithme tic mean va lues are re ported by combinin g va lues of all sam ples from wells grouped in their respective
locations for six dates during the period. Control wells represent six wells at two locations.
464 J. R. ANDERSEN & J. N. DORNBUSH
TABLE 3
Mean, Standard Deviation, and Co11fidence Limits for A11alyses of Control Well e
Samples at the Refuse L a11dfill, Feb .- Jttl., 1965 j
ti
~
Confidence Li mits
Parameter Number of Mean Standard
Samples Deviation
95 Per Cent
Limit 99 P~r Cent
Lun1 t
TABLE 4
N11111ber of T i mes Various Parameters Exceed 95 per cent and 99 per cent Confidence
Limits at Each Well During Six Different Dates, Feb.-Jul., 1965
Specific
-
Well
Number
pH I
Nitrates
(mg/ I)
Chlo-
rides
(mg/I}
Conduct-
a nee
Tota l
(Mhos@ Hardness
(mg/I)
Calcium
Hardness
(111 g/l)
Alka-
linity
(111 g/ll
Sodiu mt Potas-
(111 g/l) siumt
(111g/l)
Iron #
(111g/l)
25°C
x 10-•)
-95-- --- -
-
95 99 99 95 99 95 99 95 99 95 99 95 99 95 99 95 99 95 99
7 0 0
---
2 0 4 3 5 3 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
-0- -
0 0 0
8 0 0 2 0 4 1 4 2 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
1 0
- --
0 ·a 3 3 3 0 0 3
--- -- 0
-
4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 0
- - - - - - - - --
12 1 0 6 0 6 6 6 6 6 6 1 1 6 6
---
4 4
-4- -
4 2 2
13 3 2 6 0 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 2 2
14 3 1 6 0 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 2 2
5 4 1
---
6 0 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 4
---
4 4
--
0 0
6 3 1 6 0 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 6 6 6 4 4 4 3 0 0
--- - - - --
Pond
water 2 2 2 0 2 2 2 2 0 0 2* 2* 2* 1* 2 2 2 2 1 0
--- -----
15 0 0 6 0 6 6 6 6 2 3 1 1 4 3 4 4 2 1 10 10
16 0 0 6 0 6 6 s s 2 1 1 0 2 2 4 4 2 1 0 0
17 0 0 6 0 6 6 6 6 s 4 2 2 s s 4 4 4 4 2 2
--- -----
20 4 4 2 0 6 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 2 0 0 2 2
21 0 0 1 0 6 6 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 3 0 0 0 0
--- -----
18 2 2 6 0 6 6 0 0 l* 0 1* 0 1* l* 2 1 0 0 2 2
19 1 0 s 0 s s 3* 2* 2* l* 1* 1* 2* l* 3 3 0 0 1 0
22 1 1
-0--0 6 s 0 0 0 0 l* 0 0 0 1 1
-----
0 0 2 I
Adjusted Totals
·1y compared. Sodium and potas- at the 99 per cent level. Sodium was
e~st were only determined on four next in significance in that it exceeded
s1ul11s. therefo re, t I1eir
· totals I1ad to be the confidence limits 77 times at the
I te '
ca . f I1s to c011}pare 95 per cent level and 71 times at the·
mu Jtiplied by six- ourt • . 99 per cent level. Nitrates and specific
WI
'th the parameters t1Jat were run six • •
. es Iron totals had to be multiplied conductance are third, each showing
11111 • the same amount of variation at the
b six over two for the s ame reason .
/rter this adjustment the max imum 95 per cent confidence level. Nitrates
1,200
• Sodium
1,000 0 Magnesium - - - - - - - - - - I
..
~
0" ~ Calcium
""
800
'.,
E
I
c
600
~ 400
~c
0
200
"
0
Control 7,8 4 12,13, 14 5,6 Pond 15,16,17 20,21 18,19 22
Wells
Fig. 4. Representation of the Mean Cation Concentration at Well Locations, Feb.- Jul.
1965
The bar graph is arranged according to the generalized flow of ground water, how-
ever, some wells are laterally displaced frotn the central flow pattern. For a given
location the wells shown are at different depths. Max·innim total concentration in the
immediate fill area is approximately twice the concentration of the water entering the
area ( control wells) and that leaving the area (well 22). The pond, in the immediate
vicinity of the fill, is shown to exert a moderating inffoena on these concentrations.
number of times any parameter could did not exhibit a significant difference
have exceeded the 95 per cent or 99 at the 99 per cent level because most
per cent confidence limits was 98. nitrate concentrations were zero, which
indicated a complete disappearance of
Chlorides nitrates; however, the confidence in-
The parameter showing the greatest terval included zero nitrates and, there-
variation from the control wells was fore, the absence of nitrates was not
chlorides. Of the possible 98 chances, exhibited as being statistically sig-
the chlorides for all locations were be- nificant.
yond the confidence interval 90 times It is interesting to note that the
at the 95 per cent level and 86 times hardness and alkalinity parameters
466 J. R. ANDERSEN & J. N. DOR N BUSH
flow line downstream from well num- The following preliminary conclusio
I
ber 14, where highest specific conduct- were drawn: n
ance values were determined. 1. Ground water in the immect·
vicinity of and in direct contact wit~te
Summary and Con~lµsions refuse landfill can exhibit a significa a
. . h . nt
In -.general, the · inf tial study pro- mcrease m t e concentration of d"
. d IS.
vided information on the utilization of so1ve d mmerals as etermined by sp
an inactive gravel mining area for cific conductance measurements. The~
refuse disposal. The area was charac- increases may be as great as three
'. \
'-2'?,j' •
0
', 200 400
\
\
Scale in Feet
\
The dashed lines are gromid water elevation. The solid contoitrs are hardness, mg/I
as CaC0 3 • The dots are w ells. I soconcentrational lines of hardness of the gro1111d
water were developed from analytical data of samples from the wells shown. A rela·
tively narrow zone of increased hardness originated from the active fill area and
moved downstream w i'.th the pond infiuencing the general pattern.
terized by the gravel pits penetrating times that of the ground water not ex· ,
a high water table. The study indi- posed to the fill operation.
cated · that the ground water leaving 2. The algae-laden pond located im· '
the 160-acre disposal site was not seri- mediately downstream and receiving
ously impaired. Long-term trends or ground waters from the fill area is an
predictions are not, as yet, possible. important facto r in reducing the hard-
I N FLUENCE OF SA N ITARY LANDFILL 469
,ipr.1967
and alkalinity of these waters dur- ions, the aging of the deposited refuse,
ucss
·ug the summer. . . and climatic variation .
1
3 The three most s1g111ficant param- Acknowledgments
r~ of those utilized in th~~ investiga-
ete . d" . h . . . The authors wish to acknowledge the
tion for 111 1cat111i; t ti· v~natldon mf
1
ound water qua 1ty are, 111 or er o assistance of James H. McCormick,
f~portance, chloride, sodium, and spe- who was supported by a traineeship
:fic conductance. These parameters from USPHS. Recognition is ex-
~:ay be significant only for the de- tended to Richard J. Sawinski for the
cribed study and may not be so for work reported on the continuing stud-
~ther areas which have a dissimilar ies which are sustained by the South
• \'&xi:>\)\)
·.s •
'
0 200 400
I I I \
Scale in Feet
'
Fig. 6. Specific Conductance Variation of the Ground Water, Dec. 1965
The da shed lines are ground water elevation. The solid contours are specific con-
d11cta11ce, m-icronihos at 25°C. The dots are w ells. lsoco'llcentratioual l-i'lles of specific
conductance, developed from the a'/lalytical data of samples from the wells shown,
reveal m a:rinmm ion cot1centratio11s in the im111ediate vicinity of the active fill area
with reduced concentrations in the downstream direction.