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County weighs EcoVap evaporative system, pays leachate invoice as licensing and drift concerns remain
Summary
Butler County public-works staff reported continuing leachate hauling costs and presented findings from EcoVap about an evaporative-system alternative; commissioners approved a leachate wastewater invoice while asking staff to obtain clearer licensing terms and KDHE review.
Butler County public-works staff updated commissioners on landfill leachate and presented findings from EcoVap, a vendor proposing a modular evaporative system. Jacob Riley, assistant director of public works, told the commission the county received another leachate hauling bill for $12,006.72 and has not performed further hauling since that bill was issued.
Riley said staff have built temporary containment areas at the landfill and are constructing a secondary, more level containment area to reduce hauling while awaiting dryer weather. Riley described the EcoVap proposal and a follow-up meeting his team held with EcoVap representatives to clarify costs, on-site demonstrations and licensing terms.
Riley said EcoVap offered two system options sized to evaporate about 1,000,000 or 2,000,000 gallons per year; the company quoted about $500,000 for the larger, 2,000,000-gallon option. Riley said EcoVap projected that, with the larger system and after a 10-year payback period, the county's per-gallon operational cost would fall to about 0.025 USD, versus approximately $0.08 per gallon the county is currently paying to haul leachate off-site. He also said EcoVap told staff the pumps are low-power (about $450 per year in electricity) and that some sites have run pumps for 12 years.
Riley stressed operational differences between EcoVap's installations and Butler County's climate and site: "...what about Kansas? Our climate's way different," he said, and noted that EcoVap referenced sites in Nevada, Western Texas and elsewhere. Riley also summarized the company's drift analysis for sprinkler mist: EcoVap said droplets would fall within about an eighth of an inch and that the system uses HDPE containment walls; sprinklers would be positioned at 18 feet inside a 22-foot structure, and Riley said staff recommended a 50-foot buffer and a wind-speed automatic shutoff to comply with KDHE expectations.
A major outstanding issue, Riley told commissioners, is EcoVap's licensing and fee structure. He said EcoVap described the fee as effectively "a royalty" and that county staff have asked for a written payment structure, term length and revocation provisions. Riley said EcoVap proposed a 10-year contract as the initial term but did not deliver complete fee details at the meeting for commissioners to review.
On formal action, Commissioner Herzet moved and Commissioner Masterson seconded approval of the leachate wastewater invoice from the City of El Dorado for $12,672. The motion was carried by voice vote. Riley said staff will continue to pursue alternatives, request EcoVap provide fee-structure documents and seek KDHE feedback as the county evaluates the modular evaporation option.
Commissioners and staff also discussed other disposal concepts such as incineration and selling methane, but staff said landfill gas production and treatment needs make those options currently impractical. Commissioners emphasized contract clarity and asked staff to obtain a prepared EcoVap contract and complete cost comparisons before moving forward.
