Ex-post hydrogeological evaluation of a landfill using hydrochemical analysis and system identification techniques

The paper illustrates the results of the dynamic identification of some series of water quality data from the monitoring of the landfill of Ginestreto at Sogliano al Rubicone, in North-Central Italy. The data concern different measurement points around the landfill, where water quality samples were collected in order to check about potential percolate leaking from the landfill and water pollution, during 1991-1999. Since no rainfall measurement was available, there was no point in making a hydrologic balance model of the landfill. A black-box identification has been therefore attempted, using an autoregressive MISO model. In particular, it has been supposed that response times of the landfill and surrounding groundwater bodies to rainfall were long enough and monthly cumulative rainfall data retrieved from stations in the area were used. The paper describes the identification method used and discusses the results obtained.