Landfill leachate treatment in Lithuania

Abstract

Around 6 million tons of non- hazardous waste and some 1 30-1 70 000 tons of hazardous waste is generated in Lithuania every year. Most of non-hazardous wastes are organic (2. 1 millions tons) or domestic (1.7 million ton). Since no general waste incineration is used in Lithuania, the overall used method of waste disposal is landfilling. Most of the landfills are not designed or located properly. They pose a threat for both surface and groundwater in Lithuania. The Lithuanian government has made environmental protection a priority concern in recent years. Bilateral and multilateral donors have made funding available for environmental projects. Until 1998 no landfill in Lithuania had a landfill leachate treatment plant. Leachate was kept in the special storage places in the landfill, or collected and recirculated. In Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, part of the landfill leachate is taken to the city's waste water treatment plant and part of it is recirculated. Competition for the landfill leachate plant was announced and hopefully in the near future Vilnius will have a real project for the landfill leachate treatment. Recirculation was carried out in Kaunas Lapes landfill too till the leachate treatment plant was built. Leachate is collected and kept in the ditches in the other three biggest cities of Lithuania - Klaipeda, Siauliai and Panevezys. Klaipeda, as all other cities, is looking for a cost effective solution for the leachate treatment and Panevezys is thinking to clean the leachate in the city's waste water treatment plant. Biological leachate treatment is the idea of Siauliai municipality.