In November of 1971, the Town of Drumheller (formerly the City of Drumheller) received a Refuse Disposal System Permit for a Sanitary Landfill.

In 1979 several rural municipalities joined with the Town of Drumheller (formerly the City of Drumheller) to form the Drumheller and District Solid Waste Management Association (DDSWMA). Their purpose, to serve the Municipal waste disposal needs for the Town of Drumheller (formerly the City of Drumheller), the former Municipal District of Badlands No.7, the Counties of Wheatland and Kneehill, and the Village of Beiseker. In 1995, the County of Starland joined the Association. The Association now consists of 15 Regional Members with 19 waste transfer stations.

The Drumheller & District Solid Waste Management Association (DDSWMA) is a Regional Landfill located in Drumheller Alberta, contrary to popular belief the DDSWMA is not operated by the Town of Drumheller. The DDSWMA operates as its own entity. Each Member County, Municipality, and Town has a representative on the DDSWMA board of directors.

The DDSWMA is approved , by Alberta Environment and parks to operate a Class II Municipal Sanitary Landfill, which currently serves a population of approximately 30,000 and receives 20,000-25,000 metric tonnes of Municipal, Industrial & Commercial/Institutional waste per year.