The Leachate Treatment Plant was built to treat the liquid run-off produced by the landfill, but testing proved the leachate contained a sufficiently low level of harmful material that the city could pump it directly into its sewer system.
Northampton is scheduled to close its landfill next March.NORTHAMPTON — The Department of Public Works is beginning two projects that involve the Glendale Road landfill, an old building on the site and lots of dirt.
One of the projects is taking place in anticipation of the landfill’s closing next March, when it is scheduled to reach capacity. The city must then cap it. As Department of Public Works Director Edward S. Huntley explained, this involves layers of dirt, sand and loam and an impermeable membrane.
The sand is coming courtesy of a construction site on Atwood Drive, where Development Associates of Agawam in building a 33,000-square-foot building that will feature commercial space and medical offices. The developer has surplus fill from that project and has offered it to the city for free, Huntley said.
Starting Aug. 13, 50 to 60 trucks a day will carry that material to the landfill, where it will be stored in a great heap for use next spring. Huntley anticipates the transfer of material to last six or seven days.
As that project is ending, the Department of Public Works will begin decommissioning the Leachate Treatment Plant at the landfill. The facility was built to treat the liquid run-off produced by the landfill, but Huntley said testing proved the leachate contained a sufficiently low level of harmful material that the city could pump it directly into its sewer system.
Burke Construction of Adams has been hired to undertake the six-month project, which includes removing all equipment from the building, backfilling leachate lagoons and replacing the old generator with a newer, smaller one. The city will then use the building as storage space, Huntley said.