This book presents the results of the latest research regarding water balance covers for containing solid waste sites. Water balance covers (also known as store-and-release, evapotranspiration, or ET covers) are an effective and efficient alternative to conventional clay liner or geosynthetic covers, especially in arid regions. By cycling water from the soil to the atmosphere during growing seasons, water balance covers minimize the percolation of rainwater through the soil and thus the production of leachate from landfill contents.

This book introduces water balance covers and compares them with conventional approaches to waste containment. The authors give detailed analysis of the fundamentals of soil physics and design issues, introduce applicable ecological concepts and revegetation practices, and then move on to construction, modeling, and maintenance. Case studies drawn from current field testing add depth to the analysis.

This book will be valuable to practicing geotechnical engineers, as well as regulators and landfill managers.

About the Authors
William H. Albright, Ph.D., is associate research hydrologist in the Division of Hydrologic Sciences at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada. Albright and Benson served as the principal investigators in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Alternative Cover Assessment Program.

Craig H. Benson, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, is a professor of geological engineering and holds an endowed chair in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has served as editor-in-chief of ASCE's Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering since 2004.

William J. Waugh, Ph.D., is a scientist with the Environmental Sciences Laboratory, which is operated by the S.M. Stoller Corporation for the U.S. Department of Energy.