Hillbank Lysimeter

The Hillbank Quarry site is located approximately 25 kms northeast of the Adelaide CBD in the suburb of Hillbank. Under the instruction from SA Water T & J Constructions constructed a lysimeter within the quarry to investigate the water runoff over a vegetated surface vs the water that seeps through the vegetation and topsoil material. SA Water required this information to satisfy the EPA and environmental auditors with the intention in the future to cap off water treatment residuals (WTR) material with the this verified methodology. The lysimeter would effectively be a tool for SA Water / the auditors and EPA to determine whether the topsoil/ loam cap that was completed satisfy all criteria for a capping material. To do this a pipe was installed at the base of the HDPE liner which measured the amount of water that penetrated through the capping material and a pipe was hooked up to an ag drain that had screenings to the surface with a measuring device that measured the amount of runoff from the surface. This information would be used as basis for future capping of WTR material.