The superior wastewater treatment process used in the Waterloo Biofilter system can also be applied to treat one of the most toxic and difficult wastewaters – landfill leachate. Landfill leachate is created when precipitation percolates down through the waste deposited at a landfill. Landfill leachate is very high in organics, nitrogen, metals and other toxic materials, and is a significant environmental and health concern if released into the environment untreated. Waterloo Biofilter Systems has experience treating landfill leachate onsite with low-energy, absorbent trickling filters since 1993.

The Waterloo Biofilter technology has been shown to be effective in the bio-remediation of landfill leachate, even in the cold Canadian climate where biological activity is reduced. High removal rates of BOD, TSS, COD, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phenols, and numerous metals can be achieved. The following chart summarizes the treatment efficiencies found at a landfill leachate treatment site in Ontario, Canada over a two year study.

It is a testament to the robustness and highly-efficient nature of the Waterloo Biofilter system that such high renovation rates of a toxic wastewater can be consistently achieved. Treated landfill leachate effluent can be disposed of onsite using spray irrigation or subsurface disposal bed or trenches. Cost recovery is quick; the total system cost can be recouped in less than three years. (PDF, 3,183KB).

For more information on the capabilities of the Waterloo Biofilter technology in landfill leachate applications please contact us.