Monday night's City Council saw a presentation from Sperling Hansen Associates in regards to upcoming changes to the Weyburn Landfill. The reason for the changes is to increase ease of operation, create a more user-friendly facility and make it more environmentally responsible.

A leachate collection system is one of the more important changes. Leachate is the liquid that drains away from the landfill. The leachate can be harmful to the surrounding lands and water. Weyburn is looking to practically and safely collect and dispose of the leachate.

Ease of use will ensure that drop-offs go smoothly, one of the ways Weyburn is looking to do that is with a Z-0Wall. Z-Walls essentially have a cement pad for users to back up on with containers to be used to hold refuse. This makes unloading cleaner and easier. The containers used would also help control leachate.

"The new set up will allow you to enter the scale area, and then you would be directed by the gate operator to the area where your waste should be deposited," says Laura Delanoy, Weyburn's Assistant Engineer.

The hope is to also prolong the life of the landfill as much as possible. The City is encouraging residents to take advantage of the recycling programs. There are also options involving composting and clean wood burning. The City will be looking at implementing burning pits and composting options in the future.

U-Bays are another option to enhance the ease of use and environmental impact. U-Bays allow an area for waste to be sorted and separated with items being recycled. White goods, such as appliances, scrap metal, and much more can be sorted at the U-Bays directly at the landfill.

By Weyburn taking steps to ensure that they are recycling in many different ways will help prolong the life of the landfill.

With all these positive changes planned it has some wondering if taxpayers will see increased utility bills. Taxpayers can expect to see a marginal increase, with an estimated increase of $1.50 in 2018.

"If they're just using their regular bin supplied by the City of Weyburn they will only see a very small increase," says Delanoy.

A closing plan for the landfill was also discussed. The landfill will be covered in stages, opposed to one large covering project at the end of the landfill's life. Clay or geomembrane covering will be used, phase one of the landfill will be closed within the next five year if Weyburn follows Sperling Hansen's plan. The idea is to keep it more aesthetically pleasing, as well as eliminate leachate in those areas. By gradually closing the landfill, it allows the cost of the closure to be spread out instead of one lump sum.

The City now has plans and ideas to review from Sperling Hansen before making a decision on how to proceed. Council will be discussing and meeting to determine what steps are taken and how to best serve the City and the Weyburn Landfill.