ABSTRACT
100Results from a research program evaluating the use of wetlands as a leachate treatment system describe water quality, soil, biological, and hydrological components of Wide Cypress Swamp. These results indicate that North Wide Cypress Swamp provides treatment of the landfill leachate mixed with storm water that is pumped from the borrow ponds to the wetland. Organic priority pollutants (OPPs) have been detected in surface water, soil, fish, and vegetation samples but at levels generally below existing standards and criteria. Therefore, at the present time, there is little measured effect from these and other detected pollutants. The overall results suggest that the landfill leachate constituents are diluted, deposited, sorbed, precipitated, degraded, or biologically assimilated within the landfill leachate treatment system. In addition, the results indicate that viable biological communities have adapted to these conditions created with the discharge from the borrow ponds. A water quality—based effluent limits (WQBEL) study established effluent limits for surface water discharge and the pollution abatement technology necessary to meet the water quality criteria in the receiving waters. The wetland treatment system should remain in operation and should be managed to provide long-term treatment to meet effluent limits for surface water discharge from the wetland treatment system to the landfill outfall canal (LOC).
