The City of Irving buries nearly 200,000 tons of trash annually at the 140-acre solid waste disposal facility, Hunter Ferrell Landfill. In September, the Irving City Council took steps to safeguard the site’s longevity with the purchase of a $64,286 GPS system.
With the installation of the GPS system, Solid Waste Services operators will have access to real-time updates and guidance on the structural and compaction information of the landfill. The new tool will help the city increase its compaction of daily waste, thus extending the life of the city’s valuable asset.
The purchase and installation of the GPS system supports Irving Connects, a Smart Cities initiative, which uses data and technology to improve government efficiency, bolster economic development and enhance overall quality of life. It also supports Irving’s Think Green ... Be Green initiative as landfill operators will have access to detailed compaction level information and will know when the optimum compaction density has been achieved. This data will help save fuel from heavy equipment operations and work to improve air quality.
Calculating Storage Capacity
Prior to the installation of the GPS system, the Solid Waste Services Department annually measured the landfill’s volume and density status. The new system will provide the landfill’s heavy equipment operators with daily, weekly and monthly updates. Landfill equipment GPS also will enhance the operator’s ability to compact trash and improve landfill density. This data will help landfill employees remain efficient while in the field.
Using smart technology, a GPS-connected landfill compactor will deliver real-time guidance, elevation, cut and fill mapping and compaction information to operators. This will provide operators the information they need to maximize compaction and spreading efficiency. The result: compacting more waste into less space. This information will assist operators near the top of the landfill, ensuring it is neither overfilled nor underfilled.
Building for the Future
The landfill has been a valuable component of the city’s infrastructure for 40 years. In 2018, the facility, which includes three tracts, began using the landfill’s middle tract. The newly opened middle tract now delivers 19 acres of storage capacity, providing continuous waste disposal for Irving’s 240,000 residents.
Visit CityofIrving.org/Solid-Waste-Services for more information on the city’s Solid Waste Services Department.
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