Environmental Protection License - Landfill Monitoring Data

Groundwater Monitoring

Cessnock City Council developed a management plan at the Cessnock Waste Management Centre (CWMC) in 1999 to provide ongoing groundwater monitoring at the site.

The groundwater monitoring plan details that the monitoring wells are to be sampled for specific analytes three times a year, then a full comprehensive suite annually in accordance with the Environmental Protection Licence (EPL) requirements. The monitoring wells listed on the EPL have varied as the site has developed.

There are currently three monitoring wells listed on the site EPL comprising:

  • CD4A – Downgradient of landfilling area monitoring well
  • CD5B – Downgradient of landfilling area monitoring well
  • CD6A – Upgradient of landfilling area monitoring well

    In addition, four additional groundwater monitoring wells were installed in March 2022 for further ongoing groundwater monitoring on site. These monitoring wells are currently not listed on the sites EPL, however will be monitored in accordance with the existing monitoring well sampling requirements and comprise:

  • CD5B-U – Shallow monitoring well adjacent CD5B
  • CD7-U and CD7-L – Clustered shallow and deep monitoring wells downgradient of landfilling area, west of the leachate dam
  • CD8-U –Shallow monitoring well downgradient of Dam C

A 2006 landfill design report indicated that groundwater across the site was brackish and unsuitable for use as a groundwater supply. This was reportedly a consequence of legacy mining activities in the area.

Surface Water Monitoring

In addition, CCC undertakes routine monitoring of various surface water bodies across the CWMC to assess the surface water quality on site. The Leachate Holding Pond (EPL Point 1) is sampled quarterly for a range of analytes as required by the EPL.  Two sediment dams on site (Dam A and Dam C) are also routinely monitored.

In February 2022 two additional surface water monitoring locations were required to be added to the routine quarterly sampling at the site. These locations (SW1 and SW2) are located along the unnamed ephemeral creek which flows in a north-westerly direction across the site.

Council is required to report environmental monitoring data collected at its Waste Management Centre. The below report contains data collected quarterly from both groundwater and surface water on site.

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