New city of Waco landfill nearing completion as the current landfill fills up

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - The city of Waco landfill was purchased from the city of Woodway back in 1986, and after 38 years, is almost full.

The city’s director of solid waste told KWTX they anticipate the existing landfill will only be in operation through 2025, which is right in time for the opening of a new landfill along FM 939 between Mount Calm and Axtell.

The existing city of Waco landfill serves more than 30 cities across 11 counties, and receives tons of solid waste every day.

“We get anywhere from 900 to 1000 tons per day and we were kind of at a peak over the last few years where we were getting about 365,000 tons a year,” said City of Waco Director of Solid Waste Kody Petillo.

Because of the vast amount of tonnage the landfill has been receiving for years, in addition to recent growth, there is now a need for a new landfill.

It’s been in the works for years, with the initial permit application being submitted back in 2018 and construction finally beginning in November of 2023.

“We are a few months ahead of schedule now, we anticipate opening to the general public probably late spring, summer of 2025,” Petillo shared.

Not only will it be slightly bigger in acreage, but it will also include a new waste transfer station, and a second inbound scale to help reduce traffic and wait times.

“Our existing site we have one inbound scale and we have one outbound scale and so it can create a lot of traffic and queuing to get in and out of the facility,” he said.

Once construction on the new landfill and transfer station is complete, the old one will be capped to prevent any leaks.

“So it’s going back with a thick layer of clay and synthetic liner,” Petillo explained, “and then after that we’ll be in post-closure care, which is 30 years.”

Petillo says the city is looking forward to finally opening up a brand new landfill and for what it will provide.

“It’s a benefit to the Central Texas region and to have a landfill so we can have cost effective and environmentally safe disposal options, it helps development and just general quality of life so we’re excited,” he explained.

While there was some initial pushback from the local community, Petillo says they worked closely with them to mitigate any concerns through the permitting process.

Based on their projections, they expect this new landfill to have a 31 year lifespan.

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