Leachate Basics: What is it?

Let us start with a definition:-

leach'ate (noun) a liquid that has percolated through or out of some substance; a liquid that has been polluted or made toxic by percolating through rubbish; a solution obtained by leaching.

The United States EPA provides a more specific definition:

"Leachate is any liquid including any suspended components in the liquid, that has percolated through or drained from hazardous waste."

In this blog we will concentrate on leachate derived from rubbish, and in general from municipal (domestic and commercial) solid wastes (also often called sanitary wastes).