Liberty Waste Solutions in Sanford, NC
Waste Management Services in Sanford, NC and Surrounding Areas
Construction & Demolition Landfill in Sanford, NC
The Sanford site is planned to be a modern recycling center for construction and demolition (C&D) debris and wood waste. Additionally, the site will include C&D disposal facility – commonly referred to as a landfill. The recycling facility will receive and process wood products (tree clearing material, stumps, scrap wood waste) and inert matter (brick, concrete, metal). The C&D landfill will serve as a disposal location for materials that are not suitable for recycling and reuse.
Landfill Frequently Asked Questions
How a Landfill Operates
Debris are brought to the landfill by vehicles that collect it from households and businesses throughout the county. Vehicles are weighed at the scales and directed to the proper area, for disposal or recycling.
The debris is compacted by large machines to ensure maximum utilization of air space.
At the end of each day the debris is covered with soil or tarps.
A leachate pond temporarily stores liquid that has been filtered through the debris waste in the landfill. This liquid is collected from above the landfill liner system and pumped to the leachate pond. This leachate is then discharged into the sanitary sewer and is processed by TriRiver Water’s water reclamation facility. These ponds are an important aspect of landfill operations, providing secure storage of the collected leachate and protecting the groundwater below the site.
Sedimentation ponds are a necessity of landfill operations. They collect rain water run off. The pods include a riser and skimmer that slow the release of stormwater and provide time for silt (cloudy water with dirt particles in it) to settle, protecting the downstream streams and river.
The landfill is being developed in phases; new cells are constructed as needed. Prior to construction, testing is performed to determine ground water level and materials that can be used in the construction of the new cells. Once this information is determined, the area is excavated and lined with clay and plastic liners. When construction of the cells is completed, then debris may be disposed of in the cells.
What is a Landfill?
Let’s be honest. When most people hear “Landfill,” they think “Dump.” You know, that towering pile of random garbage as far as the eye can see? It’s smelly and gross and maybe even dangerous! Well, that was true for some landfills of yesteryear. But that is not at all a true picture of this Construction and Demolition Debris Landfill. Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, state and federal regulations were put into place to protect the health of both the environment and the community. Liberty Waste Solutions is proud to meet and exceed all of those regulations. It’s not just the law – it’s the right thing to do. Modern, secure, and fully contained, the Sanford Construction and Demolition Debris Landfill has been engineered for the highest levels of efficiency and safety.
Take a look at the following schematic to see an example of a typical landfill design and learn how it all comes together to take care of your community’s needs.
Typical Landfill Schematic
How the Sanford Inert Debris Landfill Works
All along the base of the landfill is a composite liner (see the illustration below for more detail). It’s specially designed to make sure that the ground (and groundwater) underneath is fully protected from contamination.
Also in the base is a leachate collection system. Any liquid that touches the materials entering the landfill is called “leachate” and it is collected through a complex series of pipes and pumps (again, see the Base Liner image for the science). The leachate is filtered on-site and then sent to a wastewater treatment system to be turned into clean water.
Construction and Demolition Debris that makes its way into the landfill is first heavily compacted so it takes up as little room as possible. “Airspace” is a concern at the landfill, so we want to condense things as much as the latest technology will allow. At the end of each work day, a 6-inch layer of daily cover materials is spread over the newly deposited debris to keep down odors and discourage any curious animals from digging. Every 14 days, workers place a 12-inch layer of soil over the working face of the landfill to serve as an Intermediate cover. This cycle continues until the final elevation of the landfill is reached.
Once an area, or “cell” of landfill is full, a final cover system is installed complete with stormwater management plans. (Take a look at the Leachate Management System graphic to see how intricate that process is.) By taking these careful measures, all of the landfill contents stay securely inside and the land continues to serve a useful purpose by supporting vegetation and becoming a habitat for wildlife, like the many wild turkeys and deer that live at our Asheboro location. The possibilities for that reclaimed land are endless. Some places install solar panels. Others create bike and walking trails. But in the end, the land is there to serve the community’s needs. Just like it has been doing all along.
Base Liner
The base liner system at the Sanford C&D Landfill includes a composite liner consisting of a compacted clay soil liner, a 60 mil (HDPE) geomembrane, leachate collection geocomposite, and 18 inches of protective soil cover material. The combination of the geomembrane and geosynthetic clay liner effectively precludes any leakage from the landfill.
Leachate Management System
The leachate management system is comprised of a collection system, submersible pumps, force mains, a leachate pond/pretreatment facility, and a pump station to discharge leachate to the wastewater treatment system operated by TriRiver Water. The collection system includes a geocomposite drainage layer, perforated HDPE piping, stone aggregate, and a non-woven geotextile filter. After percolating through the debris materials, leachate is transmitted through the protective cover soil into the drainage geocomposite above the 60 mil HDPE geomembrane liner. The geocomposite is comprised of two layers of non-woven geotextile fabric and a drainage net that resembles a lattice. Leachate flows within the geonet layer and is collected by the perforated piping and stone, where it is rapidly directed to the leachate collection sumps. The leachate sump (low spot in each cell or phase) is constructed with a large diameter perforated pipe and stone materials to temporarily store the leachate. A submersible pump is installed within the perforated pipe that uses a pressure transducer and pump control panel to operate the pump to remove the temporarily stored leachate. The pump operates in a manner to maintain compliance with no more than 12 inches of leachate on the base liner system.
Final Cover System
The final cover system at the Sanford C&D Landfill includes an 18-inch soil infiltration layer over the landfill debris intermediate soil cover, a 40 mil HDPE geomembrane, a drainage geocomposite drainage layer, 18-inches of vegetative support layer and 6-inches of topsoil materials to support the grass vegetation. Slopes of the final cover system are constructed at a maximum of 3 feet horizontal for every vertical foot (3 to 1 ratio) to promote stormwater run-off. Stormwater is managed with drainage benches every 40 vertical feet to reduce erosion potential and to direct run-off to the perimeter drainage ditches and the stormwater management system. Water that infiltrates the drainage geocomposite is transmitted down the slopes and processed into the drainage bench for management with the stormwater.
