Des Moines' Metro Waste Authority (MWA) is considering a bold move: building its own water treatment plant at the Metro Park East landfill. This ambitious project aims to tackle the costly and complex issue of leachate, the dirty water that drains through trash and can carry cancer-causing chemicals and other pollutants. The authority currently spends around $1 million annually on hauling and processing landfill water, making it one of their most significant operational expenses. The challenge is not unique to Des Moines; landfills across the country are grappling with the same issue. The water, known as leachate, can pick up cancer-causing chemicals and other pollutants before it's collected and sent away for treatment. Regulators are increasingly scrutinizing this issue to prevent leachate from contaminating drinking water sources. Places like Lyon County, Minnesota, and Hurley, New York, are already studying or testing cleanup solutions. The situation in Des Moines is particularly intriguing. Treatment plants in Perry and Boone have recently declined to accept the water, forcing MWA to rely more heavily on other outlets, including the Des Moines Metropolitan Wastewater Reclamation Authority. Some leachate is recirculated into landfills to aid decomposition and gas production, while the rest is hauled or sent to treatment plants. The potential of a Mitchellville water treatment plant to handle industrial liquid waste is also being explored. This could include byproducts from manufacturers or car washes, as well as other liquids that cannot legally be buried in a landfill unless they are solidified. However, the project remains conceptual. MWA has not yet started design work, and a cost estimate or overall scope is not available. CEO Michael McCoy estimates that the project could be five to seven years away. The key question is whether operational savings will be sufficient to offset costs and avoid future user-fee increases. This ambitious project could significantly impact Des Moines' waste management landscape, but only time will tell if it's a successful venture.
