Landfill Operations

Waste Management Site Overview

Arial view of the Waterloo landfill site

When the Region of Waterloo was formed in 1973, it became responsible for waste disposal, and in the late 1980's to 2000, the Region assumed responsibility for all waste management for the local area municipalities.

The Region of Waterloo has one operating landfill. It is the Waterloo Waste Management site located at 925 Erb St. West, Waterloo. Based on recommendations from extensive public input sessions in the early 1980s, the Region of Waterloo's landfill strategy focuses on utilizing our existing landfill to avoid the need to establish new sites. As the Region's only active landfill, the Waterloo Waste Management Site has been expanded and upgraded to fulfill this responsibility. Operations focus on ensuring environmental responsibility and continuing to reduce the amount of waste that reaches the landfill.

Read the 2011 Waste Management Master Plan for more information.

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Residential landfill hours and locations

Small Vehicle Transfer Station Drop-off Locations
Waterloo Region residents may dispose of household garbage and recycling at any of the following locations.  Tipping fees will apply.

Yard waste can only be dropped off at the Ayr, Elmira, Waterloo and Cambridge transfer stations. 

All small vehicle transfer stations are closed on statutory and designated holidays.

Ayr Waste Transfer Station
Reidsville Rd. & Greenfield Rd., North Dumfries

Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cambridge Waste Transfer Station
201 Savage Dr., Cambridge

Monday to Saturday 
7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Crosshill Waste Transfer Station
Manser Rd., & William Hastings Line
Wellesley Township

Thursday 
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Elmira Waste Transfer Station
End of Howard Ave., Elmira

Tuesday to Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Waterloo Transfer Station
Gate 2, 925 Erb St. W., Waterloo

Monday to Saturday 
7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wilmot Waste Transfer Station
Queen St. & Huron Rd., Wilmot Township

Saturday
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 
Loads exceeding 200 kg must be taken to either the Cambridge or Waterloo sites.

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Residential fees effective: July 1, 2012

Waterloo and Cambridge landfill

Residential fees
Effective April 2, 2013, there will be a minimum $2.00 charge per load 
up to 50 kg. Loads over 50 kg will be charged by weight based on
the rates listed below.

Material

Charge per tonne

General refuse/garbage

$7.40 / 100 kg

Surcharge loads: (Waterloo site only) (stumps, wire, styrofoam, asbestos, etc.)

$14.80 / 100 kg

Tires (max. 18", rims removed)

$10.00 / 100 kg

Pallets/Drywall $7.40 / 100 kg

Segregated loads

  • All regular Blue Box materials
  • Organics (leaves, yard waste, brush, etc.)
  • Inerts (clean fill, bricks, concrete rubble,etc.)
  • Appliances and scrap metal (refrigerators, stoves, freezers, etc.)

$3.70 / 100 kg

CFC removal fee

$10 first unit
$25 each additional unit

NOTE: Restrictions on surcharge and other loads apply at the Cambridge site.

Rural Waste Transfer Stations
(North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich)

Loads exceeding 200 kg must be taken to either the Cambridge or Waterloo residential waste management facilities.

Fees are calculated on a piece-rate basis "General Items" include bags, garbage cans, bundles, blue boxes, yard waste bags and boxes.

Effective April 2, 2013, there will be a minimum $2.00 charge for the first three "general items".

Material

Fee

General items

First three items
($2.00 minimum fee effective April 2, 2013)

For each additional three items

 

$2.00

 

$2.00

CFC removal fee

$10 first unit
$25 each additional unit

Vehicle rates (mixed loads)

Pickup

Van

Trailer (level 4' x 6' x 18")

Shingles, rubble, dry wall, etc. are limited to 1/4 the above volumes.

1/2 full: $10.00

Full $15.00

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Regional landfill by-laws and bans

Collection and disposal of waste within the Region of Waterloo is restricted by the conditions cited under the following by-laws and bans passed by Regional Council.

By-Law 02-011
By-Law to Prohibit & Regulate the Collection of Waste
Passed January 30, 2002

By-Law 98-87
A By-Law to Regulate the Receiving, Dumping & Disposing of Waste
Passed December 17, 1987

ER-88-110.1
Disposal of Waste Tire Ban
Effective September 1, 1988

ER-90-125
Old Corrugated Cardboard Landfill Ban
Effective April 1, 1991

E-02-072
Wooden Pallet Landfill Ban
Effective January 1, 2003

E-02-070
Curbside Garbage Collection of Grass Ban
Effective March 31, 2003

E-04-092
Landfill and Curbside Waste Collection of Electronic Waste Ban
Effective June 6, 2005

Tires, corrugated cardboard, wooden pallets and electronic waste were banned from Regional landfills by Regional Council in 1988, 1990, 2002, and 2004 respectively.

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Waste Management Approvals

The Waste Management Centre operates under an approval issued by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. This approval covers waste management activities at our sites, such as a: 

  • landfill site
  • recycling centre
  • public drop off area (transfer station)
  • yard waste compost area
  • organic (green bin) waste transfer area
  • Household hazardous waste drop-off

From time to time, our original approval has been reviewed and updated to reflect our changing operations at the site. Refer to the table below to access a copy of our approval and related amendments.

Description

Dated

Certificate of Approval No. A140301January 5, 1994
Amendment for Horizontal Drilling TrialAugust 11, 2004
Amendment for Air Monitoring ProgramMarch 23, 2009
Amendment for Post-Construction Summary SE1 / 3September 29, 2009
Amendment for MRC Upgrades and Organic Transfer AreaJanuary 11, 2010

The Waste Management Centre has additional Ministry of the Environment approvals for activities related to our storm water ponds and air (landfill gas flare and Recycling Centre exhaust). Contact Linda Churchill for more information.

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Environmental Management System

The Region of Waterloo's Waste Management Centre (WMC), was registered to ISO 14001 standard on June 24, 1998, making us the first municipal waste management facility in North America with such a designation.

Our Environmental Policy was established to include our commitment to continual improvement and prevention of pollution; to comply with relevant environmental legislation and regulations and to setting environmental objectives and targets.

Want to learn more about how we implemented our Environmental Management System?

Want to learn more about the ISO14000 series of standards? 
To order copies of the ISO series of standards contact the Canadian Standards Association.

If you have additional questions regarding our environmental management system, please contact our office.

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Landfill Gas Power Plant - methane recovery system

Organic materials in the landfill decompose and produce landfill gas. Landfill gas is composed of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour and other chemical compounds.

Gas collection systems designed to capture the landfill gas are operated at both the Waterloo and Cambridge landfill sites.

At the Waterloo site, the collected gas is used as a fuel source to produce electricity. This electricity goes back into the power grid and into residents' homes. Over 4,000 homes are powered by landfill gas.

At the Cambridge site, the landfill gas is sold to neighbouring industries and used as a supplement to natural gas.

More about the Waterloo Landfill Gas Power Plant.

Further information on landfill gas is available from National Office of Pollution Prevention, Environment Canada.

Awards of excellence

The Region of Waterloo was the recipient of the 2003 Ministry of the Environment Award of Excellence for the Cambridge Landfill Gas Collection System. This system has resulted in substantial reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.

Also, the Waterloo Landfill Gas Collection and Utilization System by Toromont Energy received an award for the successful Public-Private Partnership from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Right: Receiving award, 2003. (Left to Right) Jon Arsenault, Jim Archibald, Bob Downie, Ken Seiling, Linda Churchill, Elizabeth Witmer,Mike Greenhill, Mike Murray.

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Odour Control Program

The Region of Waterloo is committed to minimizing the impact of the Waterloo Waste Management Site on neighbouring property owners. The Region works very hard to respond to concerns raised by residents.

Background

Significant growth in the City of Waterloo over the past few years has brought commercial and residential development closer to the landfill site than ever before. The nearest residential homes are now located approximately 500 metres east of the site. Ongoing commercial developments east of the site, when completed, will be less than 500 metres from our property line. 

Recognizing this growth and the potential for odour issues associated with the landfill site, the Waterloo Region Landfill Liaison Committee (WRLLC) and landfill planning staff has worked to introduce a notification clause on property deeds for new subdivisions and commercial sites in the area. The notification clause states:

"Due to its proximity to the Waterloo Waste Management Facility, odour levels on this property may occasionally cause concern to some individuals." 

The purpose of the notification clause is to make future residents and developers aware of their proximity to the landfill, and the potential impact of the landfill on their property. Since 2004, the notification clause has been imposed on developments east of the Site, and will be imposed on future developments.

The Region has an effective Environmental Management System (EMS) and is ISO 14001 registered. The EMS sets environmental goals for the site and monitors progress towards achieving these goals. 

As part of this system, communications from residents (including odour concerns as well as litter, noise, etc.) are recorded in a database and reviewed by the Region to determine the cause of any issues and any action steps required. The Region submits the communication summary and the quarterly minutes of the Waterloo Region Landfill Liaison Committee to the Ministry of Environment. Recently, an objective and target under our EMS was established to further define responsibilities and timelines with regard to odour management.

The Region has kept records of odour complaints since 1999, as represented in the attached table.

Odour Control History

The primary method of odour control for the Waterloo Landfill Site has been a landfill gas control system. The landfill gas system was established in 1994 and has been expanded as the site has grown. The landfill gas is collected through a network of pipes and trenches, and is used by Toromont Energy to generate electricity. An approved landfill gas flare was used to burn off the gas before the Toromont power plant opened, and remains in place to be used as a contingency measure. A second landfill gas flare was installed in 2010 to provide additional flaring capacity at the site, if required.


Solar flare installation

At present, the original landfill area (OLA) and those cells developed in the north expansion area (NEA), and a portion of the south expansion (SEA) are connected to the landfill gas collection system. In 2009, the Region constructed another cell in the SEA (SE-2). Along with this new cell, permanent gas and leachate facilities were constructed. As landfilling has progressed in the SEA the Region has implemented several additional strategies to control odours.

These odour control initiatives include:

  1. The trial use of a solar flare on areas of the site where connection to the main landfill gas collection system may not be practical. Currently, the solar flare is installed on a manhole in the SEA.
  2. The trial use of a portable flare to capture landfill gas that is not of sufficient quality to generate electricity at the Toromont Facility. Currently the portable flare is installed in the SEA.
  3. The installation of three temporary vertical extraction wells in the SEA to allow for more landfill gas collection.
  4. The operation of a fence line spray misting system to deodorize the air and help prevent offsite landfill odours.

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Odour Control Initiatives - 2012

As part of the ongoing review of the Landfill Site, the Region has identified several items to continue to improve odour emissions in 2012. The next steps are outlined below:

  1. Installation of additional horizontal trenches and associated hook-ups into the permanent gas collection system. 

  2. Continued trial of the use of portable and solar flares on portions of the site where connection to the full landfill gas collection system may not be practical. Potential installation of additional solar flares is being investigated.

  3. Trial installation of a carbon filter on the vent of pumping station 4 (PS4) to treat odours from the leachate wet well in the SEA. Installed in January 2012.

  4. The sealing of several valve chambers in the north expansion area to limit landfill gas emissions scheduled for March 2012.

  5. The Investigation of the use of a portable spray misting system that may be transported around the sites to use in odourous areas.

  6. The continued operation and expansion/extension of the fence-line spray misting system to reduce offsite landfill odours.

The Region has also retained an air emissions consultant, RWDI, to continue air quality monitoring at the site as well as odour monitoring on and off site. This includes a walk-over survey of the site to identify areas in the cover of the landfill site that may be venting landfill gas.

The Region of Waterloo is committed to reducing the impact of the Waterloo Waste Management Site on adjacent property owners, and activities are in place to make continual improvements to odour reduction and respond to any concerns raised. In addition, the Region will continue to work with the Waterloo Region Landfill Liaison Committee to cooperatively resolve operational issues as they arise.

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Public Involvement - Waterloo Region Landfill Liaison Committee

The Waterloo Region Landfill Liaison Committee was formed in 1993.The goal of the Committee is to provide regular and effective communication between the Region, local residents and the Ministry of the Environment on the operation of the Waterloo Landfill Site. The Committee is governed by the Terms of Reference.

The committee meets quarterly. These meetings are open to the public; residents do not need to call ahead to attend. Please refer to the schedule below. If a resident is unable to attend but would like to offer input, please contact Linda Churchill , Senior Environmental Engineer.

The residents of the Liaison committee select and retain an independent consultant to provide support on their behalf. The consultant advises on technical matters regarding landfill monitoring and operations, and is paid by the Region.

Meeting Information

Waterloo Region Landfill Liaison Committee Meetings - Waterloo Landfill
925 Erb Street West, Gate 1, Administration Building, Waterloo, ON
7 p.m.


Meeting Information 2013

Meeting Dates
(click on date to see a copy of the agenda)

Minutes
(click on date to see a copy of the minutes)

February 5, 2013


February 5, 2013

May 7, 2013

May 7, 2013

August 6, 2013


November 5, 2013

Past Meeting Information 2012



Contact(s)

Region of Waterloo Waste Management
925 Erb Street West, Waterloo, Ontario N2J 3Z4

Phone: 519-883-5100
TTY: 519-575-4608
Fax: 519-747-4944

Map this Location.
E-Mail to Region of Waterloo Waste Management
Link to Region of Waterloo Waste Management Landing Page

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