Landfill Monitoring

Landfill gas is produced from decomposing garbage. This gas is mainly made up of carbon dioxide and methane, which are both greenhouse gases. Since 1991, Hartland has been collecting this landfill gas using a network of wells and pipes. The collected gas is sent to the gas plant to create energy, or burned using a flare.

The landfill gas monitoring program collects samples of landfill gas for analysis, monitors ambient air quality, and evaluates performance of the landfill gas collection system and gas plant efficiency.

Visit our How Landfills Work  page for more information on the history of landfill gas collection and use at Hartland. More information about Hartland Landfill gas monitoring program and annual results can be found in our document library. 

Groundwater is the water found underneath the ground in spaces between rocks, sand, and soil.

Levels and quality are monitored quarterly to assess potential impacts of landfill processes and operations on groundwater.

Groundwater is monitored at over 150 stations on and off the landfill site, including 14 privately-owned domestic drinking water wells located within a 2km radius of the landfill.

Groundwater Monitoring Program results are reported annually in the Hartland Landfill Groundwater Surface Water and Leachate Monitoring Program reports, found in our document library.

Hartland Landfill is located within the Tod Creek watershed. Surface water flowing south from the landfill is directed to Killarney Lake and Prospect Lake, and ultimately discharges to Tod Creek. As well, surface water draining north from the landfill flows northeasterly through Heal Creek and Durrance Creek, discharging to Tod Creek and ultimately Tod Inlet.

Surface water diversion ditches are used to redirect clean runoff from the natural areas adjacent to the landfill to minimize the amount of leachate that is generated within the landfill. Water that is diverted and existing drainage courses on the landfill property and downstream of the landfill are monitored to ensure that water quality is not affected by landfilling operations.

Surface Water Monitoring Program results are reported annually in the Hartland Landfill Groundwater Surface Water and Leachate Monitoring Program reports found in our document library.

Leachate is the liquid that forms from rainwater and groundwater moving through landfilled garbage. To limit the amount of leachate created, closed parts of the landfill are capped or covered with tarps so that water does not move through garbage and is instead diverted away. When leachate is generated, it is captured and drains to one of two leachate lagoons located onsite. Leachate is tested before being discharged from the site via a pipeline to the sanitary sewer.

Leachate monitoring is used to determine the volume of leachate discharged and flow rates to the sanitary sewer. The CRD’s SCADA data collection system provides continuous automated monitoring of the volume of leachate discharged. Leachate testing is conducted monthly to characterize the chemical constituents present in the leachate and assess compliance with the CRD Sewer Use Bylaw.

Leachate Monitoring Program results are reported annually in the Hartland Landfill Groundwater Surface Water and Leachate Monitoring Program reports found in our document library.