Background
The Ganei Hadass landfill is the largest in southern Israel. In a single day it capacitates 120 truckloads of waste collected from several intermediate stations where domestic waste is dumped, compacted and covered.
After dumping the trash and before leaving the premises each truck undergoes a thorough wash to disinfect the high loads of health threats and reduce the odor.
Situated in the arid Negev desert, the landfill does not treat the actual landfill leachate but rather collects it and sprinkles it back on top of the heap. In arid regions this is common practice for the liquid is needed to enhance bacterial digestion of the trash and avoid dust.

Challenge
200-300 liters are used to wash one truck.
The truck washing uses fresh tap water and the landfill faced several challenges:

• A cut in water quota  
• Rising water cost
• Malfunction of a previous water recycling unit installed
  4 years earlier. 
  

Solution
For its assessment of the treatment facility,  pH2O worked with a local consulting engineer and the Ganai Hadass management to evaluate the truck washing water loads and predict the performance of a new treatment and recycling alternative.
After careful analysis, we suggested installing a 30m³/d combined treatment system that was compatible with the existing collecting tanks.

Process
The initial water washing reservoir is filled with 5m3 of system water.
The pH2O system is activated after the first truck wash, recycling the treated water to the reservoir.
120 trucks are washed every day with the recycled water. Every 2 weeks the 5m³ reservoir water are sprinkled on the landfill heap and replaced by fresh system water. The process generates ~2% sludge which is pumped to the landfill and consumes <1Kw/m3.
The chemical free system combines the pHEC (ElectroCoagulation) and the pHEF (ElectroFlotation), is fully automatic and remote controlled and cameras are installed for 24/7 online surveillance.

Results
As a result of installing the pH2O comprehensive system, Ganei Hadass has overcome the cut in water quota while recycling all the washing wastewater.
The consumption of tap water was reduced from 1080m3 per month to 10m3.
Due to the excellent performance of the system and the satisfaction of the truck drivers, Ganei Hadass is weighing the option to expand the
pH2O system and offer washing services to
nearby landfills.

Operation Data
The electrochemical maintenance free system does not require adding reaction chemicals and consumes <1Kw/h. depending on the contamination in the wastewater.
The pHEC sacrificed electrodes are replaced every 6-12 months at a cost of $1000. OpEx is ~$0.5/m3 (power + replacing the EC electrodes)

Lab Results*

*conducted by the Faculty of Agriculture, Analytical lab, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

                      Influent                     After                       After
                                             Electrocoagulation        Electroflotation