Photo Gallery: What's Wrong with This Picture? Maintaining Your Landfill Gas Collection and Control System

What's Wrong with This Picture? Maintaining Your Landfill Gas Collection and Control System

Waste Age

Aug. 1, 2011

Smells Like Trouble

A gas collection well equipped with a dewatering pump requires regular attention lest a leachate eruption occur, resulting in a foul-smelling health hazard.
The Limits of Duct Tape

The hose bend at this GCCS wellhead is too tight, which led it to crack. The use of duct tape would suffice in an emergency, but it will eventually rot, resulting in loss of vacuum.
Port Problems

Unused sampling ports plugged with silicone or tape can eventually leak, or the plastic tubing can become brittle and snap off, all of which can result in false gas readings.
Under Pressure

This flame arrester at a LFG flare fractured due to the lack of a vertical pipe support to relieve the 400 pounds of weight.
How's the Weather Up There?

This wellhead is too tall for safe access, which can lead to neglect. It should be rebuilt at waist-high level.
A Tired Formula

Tires originally installed to fend off rolling stock and ponded water ultimately make wellhead access difficult and unsafe, which can lead to neglect.
Sag and Seize

The gas system inlet pipe (left side of photo) at this GCCS sagged over time, which caused the blower impeller to seize, resulting in a costly repair.
Seeking a Seal

This corroded butterfly valve on the inlet pipe to a blower flare station cannot seal and is a hazard to maintenance work on the blower and flare.
High Water Muck

This gas condensate pumping station valve vault is flooded, rendering the shut-off valves inoperable.
Oil Can! Oil Can!

Rusted bolts make it difficult to access this gas collection wellhead and the outdated butterfly valve makes well tuning difficult.
Close Quarters

Gas collection wellheads inside enclosures like this limit access and make it difficult for the technician to gather data. The confined space also presents breathing hazards.
All's Well That Ends Well

A properly maintained wellhead with slack in the hose to accommodate well settlement, a plastic gate valve for corrosion resistance and fine tuning of gas flow, and all monitoring ports under a protective cap.

Learn from these examples of improperly installed or maintained landfill gas (LFG) collection and control systems (GCCS). (Photos and commentary courtesy of SCS Engineers)

What's Wrong with This Picture? Maintaining Your Landfill Gas Collection and Control System

Smells Like Trouble

The Limits of Duct Tape

Port Problems

Under Pressure

How's the Weather Up There?

A Tired Formula

Sag and Seize

Seeking a Seal

High Water Muck

Oil Can! Oil Can!

Close Quarters

All's Well That Ends Well

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What's Wrong with This Picture? Maintaining Your Landfill Gas Collection and Control System

Smells Like Trouble

The Limits of Duct Tape

Port Problems

Under Pressure

How's the Weather Up There?

A Tired Formula

Sag and Seize

Seeking a Seal

High Water Muck

Oil Can! Oil Can!

Close Quarters

All's Well That Ends Well

Hot Topics

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Waste360.com

Site Features

Waste360 Corporate

Follow Us

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Penton Waste Industry Sites