Solid waste staff outline $1.4M vertical‑well program, leachate fixes and cell‑10 construction plan
May 19, 2026 | Cowlitz County, Washington
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Solid waste staff updated the board on a suite of landfill projects and operational fixes, saying 2025 tonnage and revenue rose to roughly 772,000 tons and about $28 million in revenue, with 2026 projected at ~780,000–800,000 tons and approximately $30 million in revenue.
On gas capture, staff said they restarted a vertical‑well program, installing a little over 20 vertical wells in addition to the existing horizontal network to increase methane extraction; the vertical‑well work is part of a roughly $1.4 million project and should tie into the existing collection line and flare within about 30 working days.
To address recent leachate problems, crews emptied the north pond and plan targeted cleaning of the south pond; camera inspection found scaling between the pond and the pump house, and staff are contracting for scaling removal and additional cleanouts to reduce future line failures. Staff discussed options to upgrade the old rail loading area so trucks can be filled at ground level and to increase simultaneous loading capacity from two trucks toward three or four.
Because of scaling and periodic blockages in the 16‑mile leachate line, staff are evaluating pipeline 'pig' devices with transponders and temporary or permanent sensors. Basic tracker packages were cited at a few thousand dollars and permanent sensor nodes at about $8,000 each; fully instrumenting the line plus cleanouts could exceed $100,000 depending on configuration. A single pig run currently takes about six hours and 20 minutes end to end, staff said.
Looking to 2027, staff described cell‑10 construction (about 14 acres) with an engineer’s estimate near $27.5 million for liner systems, leachate channels and related work. Separately, the county intends to replace the Tenant Way flare; procurement bids were nonconforming and staff recommended rejecting all bids and rolling flare procurement into the broader construction contract, with a planned bid release in late July or early August. Staff noted closure funds will pay much of the replacement work.
The update included equipment news: a new compactor (Cat‑class unit) is expected on site in about two weeks for operational deployment. Staff emphasized that permitting and discharge options for leachate treatment are complex and could require multi‑year planning if the county pursues on‑site treatment or seeks discharge permits to outside plants.
On gas capture, staff said they restarted a vertical‑well program, installing a little over 20 vertical wells in addition to the existing horizontal network to increase methane extraction; the vertical‑well work is part of a roughly $1.4 million project and should tie into the existing collection line and flare within about 30 working days.
To address recent leachate problems, crews emptied the north pond and plan targeted cleaning of the south pond; camera inspection found scaling between the pond and the pump house, and staff are contracting for scaling removal and additional cleanouts to reduce future line failures. Staff discussed options to upgrade the old rail loading area so trucks can be filled at ground level and to increase simultaneous loading capacity from two trucks toward three or four.
Because of scaling and periodic blockages in the 16‑mile leachate line, staff are evaluating pipeline 'pig' devices with transponders and temporary or permanent sensors. Basic tracker packages were cited at a few thousand dollars and permanent sensor nodes at about $8,000 each; fully instrumenting the line plus cleanouts could exceed $100,000 depending on configuration. A single pig run currently takes about six hours and 20 minutes end to end, staff said.
Looking to 2027, staff described cell‑10 construction (about 14 acres) with an engineer’s estimate near $27.5 million for liner systems, leachate channels and related work. Separately, the county intends to replace the Tenant Way flare; procurement bids were nonconforming and staff recommended rejecting all bids and rolling flare procurement into the broader construction contract, with a planned bid release in late July or early August. Staff noted closure funds will pay much of the replacement work.
The update included equipment news: a new compactor (Cat‑class unit) is expected on site in about two weeks for operational deployment. Staff emphasized that permitting and discharge options for leachate treatment are complex and could require multi‑year planning if the county pursues on‑site treatment or seeks discharge permits to outside plants.
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