Big Sandy Draw MSW Landfill Awarded ACEC Texas 2022 Gold Medal for Engineering Excellence

Parkhill’s Environmental entry for Big Sandy Draw Municipal Solid Waste Landfill has been recognized with a Gold Medal in the 2022 ACEC Texas Engineering Excellence Awards. The Engineering Excellence Awards Competition honors outstanding achievements within the engineering community. A panel of judges from across the state of Texas selected 13 Gold Medal Award winners and 5 Silver Medal winners based on uniqueness, originality, technical, value to the engineering profession, complexity, and how successfully the project met the client’s needs.

Big Spring’s existing landfill had less than two years of life remaining, so getting the Big Sandy Draw Landfill operational as quickly as possible with a seamless progression from the old landfill to the new facility was critical. The projected life of Big Sandy Landfill is 106 years. This facility will provide the citizens with disposal options and future recycling opportunities for solid waste. 

Environmental protection is a top priority for any landfill design. Big Sandy has updated features of a modern landfill, including a dual liner system, leachate removal system, leachate evaporation pond, scale house with both in-bound and out-bound scales, a maintenance building, citizen convenience drop-off site, stormwater detention basins, and monitor wells for both groundwater and landfill gas.