ABSTRACT
The Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (FDER) specified that, notwithstanding the presence of a constructed clay liner, groundwater monitoring would be required to detect any evidence of degradation of groundwater quality. When the Escambia County Solid Waste Department first proposed the use of a constructed wetlands system to treat landfill leachate at the Perdido Landfill, the FDER responded with caution. The Perdido Landfill is located on the western edge of Escambia County, within the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain. Strata immediately beneath the constructed wetlands have been the focus of this study; they are divided into four general groups of beds. During early discussions between Escambia County and the FDER, it was concluded that the upper perched aquifer, being removed, would not require monitoring. The monitoring system that was installed at the Perdido Landfill constructed wetlands facility fulfills all of the above-cited requirements.
