Indian River County Solid Waste Disposal District and Heartland Water Technology Unveil Leachate Management Treatment Project

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. -- The Indian River County (IRC) Solid Waste Disposal District Facility (SWDD) and Heartland Water Technology hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony this week to celebrate commissioning of a new, state-of-the-art wastewater treatment solution. The SWDD together with Heartland Water's Indian River Sustainability Center is working in partnership to provide an economical and sustainable solution for the wastewater generated at the landfill, called landfill leachate. The Indian River Sustainability Center will use Heartland's proprietary Leachate Concentrator to evaporate onsite up to 30,000 gallons per day of leachate. This onsite solution will beneficially use renewable energy generated at the landfill, lower costs for the County and its citizens, and avoid up to 10 truck trips per day for disposal off-site.

In attendance to celebrate the opening was Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Chairman Joe Earman. About the new initiative Chairman Earman says, "The Sustainability Center addresses an important challenge for the landfill and creates a new strategic capability for the long-term. By treating leachate on-site, we control cost and avoid trucking leachate through the County – advancing both our economic and environmental goals. Through the Sustainability Center we will continue to innovate by working with private industry and academia to improve landfill operations for the County and across the State."

All landfills generate leachate as rainwater percolates through a landfill. All across the country, landfill operators are dealing with rising costs of off-site disposal. These rising costs can be significant and arise unexpectedly as off-site disposal options shrink. To safeguard the County from unexpected cost increases, secure a long-term solution option for its leachate, improve environmental metrics and lower current costs, the County Commission and SWDD engaged in a robust techno-economic evaluation of solution options and selected Heartland Water as its solution provider. Himanshu Mehta, the Managing Director at IRC SWDD who led the techno-economic evaluation and oversight of the entire project, said about the County's partner, "Heartland is a proven leader in the leachate treatment space. By engaging Heartland's Leachate Management Service, we have a solution for the County's leachate that both lowers cost and improves environmental outcomes."

Also speaking at the ceremony was Heartland's CEO Earl Jones. "The leadership team at Indian River County, from the County Commissioners to the SWDD, reflect the best in good government. Thoughtful and thorough, the County's leadership team sought a life-of-the-landfill solution for its leachate. The citizens of Indian River County should be very proud of their elected officials and civil servants."

About the Indian River County Solid Waste Disposal District

The Solid Waste Disposal District is a dependent district of Indian River County, Florida. It provides for the management of solid waste and recycling services throughout Indian River County.

About Heartland Water Technology

Heartland Water Technology, Inc. (www.heartlandtech.com) develops innovative solutions for treating the world's most challenging waste and wastewaters. Focused at the intersection of water, renewable energy and resource recovery, Heartland's team offers complete turnkey waste and wastewater management solutions and services.

Send inquiries and questions to: Casey Cammann, Chief Marketing Officer at [email protected].