Conversion of a Reservoir Into a Landfill Site

The Writer is acting as a geotechnical consultant during the conversion of a disused water reservoir into a landfill site for domestic and industrial refuse. The site developer had no previous waste management or earthworks expertise and the local water authority was seriously concerned that leachate from the site would pollute streams and groundwater in the locality. The paper describes the geotechnical problems encountered during the construction of an effective clay seal to the site and the measures undertaken to overcome these difficulties. Part of the site has now been filled and preliminary monitoring of the long-term behaviour of the refuse has commenced.