Numerical Modelling of Exfiltrations from Leaching Tailing Ponds

Currently, in Romania there are many landfills and tailings ponds for industrial or municipal waste that are in operation or closed, many of those with environmental problems. As the vast majorities were built decades ago, without sealing and drainage measures, runoff water infiltrates in the tailings mass, this results in contamination of soil, subsoil and groundwater as result of exfiltrations. A first step in evaluating the contamination degree is to assess the amount of rainfall water infiltrating through and outflowing from the tailing pond. The paper presents a possible approach for this assessment, using numerical modeling for two case studies of tailing ponds: one without sealing measures and one having a lining system.