Master Planning and Cell Expansion Design

Verdantas provided master planning, engineering design, and bid document preparation for multiple landfill expansion projects across Kern County, including the Taft, Mojave–Rosamond, and Shafter–Wasco Sanitary Landfills. These facilities are Class III municipal solid waste landfills serving key regions of the county, each requiring carefully phased expansions to meet long‑term capacity needs while maintaining regulatory compliance.

Taft Sanitary Landfill – Module 3A Expansion

The Taft Landfill covers 161.7 acres, with 100 acres permitted for landfill operations and an 85‑acre waste disposal footprint. Verdantas designed the Module 3A expansion, which includes 8.8 acres of composite liner and approximately 420,000 cubic yards of earthwork. Major design components included:

• Geotechnical investigation, drilling, sampling, and static/seismic slope stability analyses.
• Full Master Plan update including module sequencing, future waste intake projections, refuse fill planning, and soil resource planning.
• Design of the leachate collection and removal system (LCRS), including pipe networks, sump structures with pan lysimeter, pumps, and a 5,000‑gallon leachate storage tank.
• Preparation of the full Design Report and Bid Documents, including drawings, technical specifications, CQA plan, and detailed Engineers Estimate.
• Design‑phase support including clarification of design details, RFI responses, and participation in preconstruction and progress meetings.

Mojave–Rosamond and Shafter–Wasco Sanitary Landfills

The Mojave–Rosamond Landfill is a 1,688‑acre facility with a 544‑acre permitted disposal footprint, while the Shafter–Wasco Landfill encompasses 357 acres with 135 acres permitted for refuse disposal. Following Verdantas’ successful work on the Taft Landfill, Kern County awarded Verdantas the design contracts for these two additional expansions.

Both projects include the same scope as Taft—composite liner design, master planning, module sequencing, and earthwork engineering—along with the design of upgraded entrance facilities such as scales, access roads, and operational infrastructure.

Collectively, these projects support Kern County’s long‑term solid waste management needs by expanding disposal capacity, modernizing infrastructure, and improving overall operational efficiency.