ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance

Okay kiddo, so you know how we use landfills to dump our trash and waste? Well, it's important to make sure that the landfill is doing its job and not causing any harm to the environment, like pollution or contamination. That's where hydrologic evaluation comes in!

Hydrologic evaluation is when scientists look at the water and how it moves through the landfill to make sure it's not causing any problems. They look at things like where the water is coming from, where it's going, and what it's carrying with it.

One thing they do is look at the landfill's liner. This is a layer that's put in place to keep any liquids from seeping out and possibly contaminating the soil and groundwater below. Scientists look at how the liner is holding up and if it's working like it's supposed to.

They also look at the "leachate," which is the liquid that's produced when water interacts with the trash in the landfill. They test the leachate to see what kind of chemicals and pollutants are in it and make sure it's being properly collected and treated.

Overall, hydrologic evaluation helps us make sure that our landfills are being safe and not causing any harm to the environment. It's important to take care of our planet, even when it comes to something as simple as throwing away our trash!