The Potential for Leachate Generation Below a Dry Ash Dump

摘要

In a semi-arid climate the provision of a leachate collection and management system beneath a waste deposit may be an unnecessary expense. Field measurements of the water content profile of an operational fly ash dump were made at various times of the year, in order to quantify seasonal changes. Negligible differences were found and it was decided to carry out numerical modelling of hte water balance of this dump. The results of this exercise indicate that evaporation losses from the upper profile of the ash may be sufficient to prevent the ingress of rainfall to such an extent that no leachate emerges from the base of the deposit.