Abstract:
In developing countries like Sri Lanka, waste management is a vital necessity. Solid waste
dumps play a major role in handling waste in most countries. These solid waste dumps can
cause severe environmental pollution via leachate generation and transport of toxic material
along with both surface and underground water flows. The Aruwakkalu waste dump, which
is the subject of the study, is a sanitary landfill situated in Puttalam district, Sri Lanka. The
landfill is planned to receive and store municipal solid waste (MSW) from Colombo
metropolitan area. Locations for these waste dumps must be selected strategically to
minimise the risk of contamination of the surrounding environment. A distributed
hydrological model was used to determine the effect of rainfall, evapotranspiration, and
surface runoff on the site. It identified the direction of the water flow through the waste
dump. The analyses have illustrated that the area receives lesser rainfall and a higher rate of
evapotranspiration. The hydrological analysis illustrates the water flow direction from the
waste dump to the outside is towards the West and away from the nearby settlement areas.
The results were used to assess the effect of the waste dumpsite on the surrounding water
resources.
Citation:
Chirantha, D., Herath, H.M.D.K., Chandrapala, H.M.N.I., Chaminda, S.P., Dassanayake, A.B.N., & Jayawardena, C.L. (2021). Assessment of the effect of Aruwakkalu waste dump on surrounding water resources. In D.M.D.O.K. Dissanayake & C.L. Jayawardena (Eds.), Proceedings of International Symposium on Earth Resources Management & Environment 2021 (pp. 78-84). Department of Earth Resources Engineering, University of Moratuwa. https://uom.lk/sites/default/files/ere/files/ISERME%202021%20Proceedings_2.pdf