Abstract
The design of natural attenuation type sanitary landfills receiving municipal refuse is controlled by some key parameters in leachate. The attenuation mechanism(s) of the key parameters in the leachate are included. Equation to calculate average concentration of a pollutant due to dilution in a groundwater has been developed. A semi‐quantitative design method for municipal landfills has been suggested. It is concluded that heavy metals in leachate from a municipal landfill sited on a clayey stratum overlying a sandy aquifer will be highly attenuated but concentration of BOD, chloride, COD, hardness and iron in the groundwater will increase.