Overview
ISO 24297:2022 - "Guidelines for treatment and reuse of leachate from municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration plants" - provides international guidance for the design, management, operation and supervision of leachate treatment systems and the safe reuse of treated leachate. The standard focuses on leachate generated in MSW incineration plants (stacking and fermenting wastewater and unloading platform flushing water), which is typically odorous and contains high concentrations of organic and inorganic contaminants. ISO 24297:2022 helps practitioners meet water reuse quality requirements while addressing environmental, safety and economic sustainability.
Key Topics
- Leachate characteristics and variability
- Quantity and quality considerations; factors such as climate, waste composition and collection practices that influence leachate quality.
- Treatment system design principles
- Integrated approach: preliminary treatment, biological treatment (aerobic, anoxic, MBR, SBR and other configurations), and advanced treatment for reuse (membrane filtration, NF/RO, evaporation and other processes where applicable).
- Monitoring and process control
- Requirements for monitoring systems to ensure reliability, stability and reclaimed water quality suitable for intended reuse.
- Auxiliary systems and by‑product management
- Management of sludge, concentrate, biogas, odour, foam and noise issues from leachate treatment plants.
- Reuse considerations
- Guidance on reclaimed water quality, intended reuse applications, and decision factors for reuse suitability.
- Environmental, occupational health & safety
- Identification of risks, safety programs, design-related safety measures, emergency management and staff training.
- Supporting information
- Informative annexes covering process parameters, leachate generation quantities, potential treatment options and MSW composition.
Applications
ISO 24297:2022 is practical for:
- Engineers and consultants designing leachate treatment and water reuse systems for MSW incineration plants.
- Plant managers and operators responsible for day‑to‑day operation, monitoring and maintenance.
- Environmental authorities and regulators developing permitting criteria for leachate discharge or reuse.
- Decision-makers assessing cost, sustainability and environmental impact of leachate management options.
Use cases include optimizing treatment trains to meet reuse standards, selecting advanced filtration or biological processes, and designing monitoring/health‑and‑safety programs.
Related standards
- ISO 20670 (Water reuse - Vocabulary) - normative reference used by ISO 24297:2022.
- Other ISO terminology and wastewater reuse standards referenced for biological and membrane technologies (see ISO/TC 282 work program).
Keywords: ISO 24297:2022, MSW leachate, leachate treatment, water reuse, MSW incineration plants, leachate management, reclaimed water quality.