Bethlehem Landfill Protects Water Quality & Community by Treating for PFAS

U.S.-based landfills are beginning to take positive steps to address dangerous PFAS in their leachate. The industry needs a transformative solution – and The Water And Carbon Group has it with their innovative LEEF System®.

The Bethlehem Landfill Company (a subsidiary of Waste Connections, Inc.) located in Bethlehem PA, is leading the industry by proactively investing in the LEEF System for efficient PFAS removal. The Water And Carbon Group has the world’s longest running system in Darwin, Australia treating PFAS in landfill leachate. The Bethlehem PA location is the first operational fixed-plant installation in the U.S. to remove PFAS from raw leachate. They are now able to treat and discharge leachate with PFAS at non-detect levels, well below the U.S. EPA limits for drinking water.

“Our partnership with The Water & Carbon Group is an integral part of our sustainability objectives and our commitment to improving the environment,” said Astor Lawson, District Manager of Bethlehem Landfill Company. “In one short month, the LEEF System® is already surpassing our expectations, with early results showing the removal of target PFAS contaminants to the limit of detection.”

There are several technologies being developed globally, and leading the effort is the Water and Carbon Group with their ground-breaking solution. Government regulations and environmental compliance standards are becoming more stringent and the industry needs to act to ensure the environment is well protected. It is becoming more prevalent that solid-waste landfills are being cut off from discharging leachate to local municipality sewage treatment plants for exceeding acceptable levels of PFAS.

The LEEF System: Effective, efficient, affordable

As many of my fellow engineers would agree, engineering can be challenging, but even more rewarding. I enjoy being involved across the various aspects of an engineering project as there is always a unique challenge or problem to solve. However, more importantly, there is always something valuable to learn and take away from each project as well. It is gratifying to work with a talented and hardworking group of people as part of a successful engineering team. This was one of the best parts I enjoyed while working on group projects during university, and this has followed on into my career having the privilege of working with a wonderful team of people!

Bethlehem Landfill is a 201-acre municipal landfill located one hour northwest of Philadelphia. Located in an area filled with natural beauty, they have a long history of being committed to protecting the environment and focusing on groundwater remediation to ensure clean drinking water for the local community.

In keeping with their corporate mission of Safety, Integrity and Service, Bethlehem prides itself on being ahead of the curve when it comes to meeting – and exceeding – environmental compliance requirements.

Bethlehem Landfill Company Stats:

• Design: Double-layer, composite liner system, with mechanically stabilized earth wall
• Approved to accept 1,375 tons / day of municipal solid waste
• Generates 50-70k gallons per day of leachate
• Discharges to the City of Bethlehem

Recognizing the increasing risk of PFAS contamination in their leachate, Bethlehem Landfill’s parent company, Waste Connections, began evaluating potential treatment technologies in advance of potential federal and state regulations with the engineering team reviewing a number of technologies for treating PFAS in landfill leachate.

When Bethlehem Landfill invited The Water And Carbon Group to perform an on-site demonstration and treatability study of the leachate at their facility, they were impressed. The LEEF System was able to remove key PFAS contaminants to below the limits of detection. The LEEF System performance is exceptional and by intercepting the PFAS, this enables Bethlehem Landfill to discharge leachate with PFAS levels below the U.S. EPA limits on PFAS in drinking water.

The LEEF System process leverages the natural affinity of surface-active molecules, like PFAS, to congregate at air-water interfaces. By injecting millions of air bubbles into the leachate, the LEEF System generates a PFAS-laden foam that can be collapsed and then sequestered or permanently destroyed. The primary leachate flow is depleted of PFAS and is discharged to the City of Bethlehem sanitary sewer system.

In addition, the system uses less energy than alternative methods, requires no pre-treatment and produces less waste, making it a cost effective solution for removing “forever chemicals”.