Mine water treatment
Since 2004, JBA Bentley and JBA Bentley have have delivered a range of projects with the Coal Authority, tackling challenging engineering problems to deliver safe and innovative solutions that treat mine water and improve the surrounding environment.
Schemes vary in nature, from the construction of new treatment facilities, cascades, lagoons and
reed beds to structural repairs and refurbishment works.
Lynemouth
Project: Lynemouth Mine Water Treatment Scheme
Location: Northumberland
Value band: £1m-5m
Client: Coal Authority
More: WaterProjectsOnline
Pumping capacity needed increasing at Lynemouth to manage rising water levels.
We constructed new cascades, treatment lagoons, an ochre sludge drying bed and associated infrastructure. The scheme
presented a number of challenges, from managing buried structures and pockets of asbestos; to working near railway lines; to safely dealing with 100,000T of contaminated soils.
Polkemmet
Project: Polkemmet Mine Water Treatment Scheme
Location: Scotland
Value band: £1m-5m
Client: Coal Authority
At Polkemmet in Scotland, we are improving the existing mine water treatment scheme with new settlement lagoons and aeration cascade, refurbishing reed beds and upgrading the pumping station.
Monitoring and managing carbon through the Moata Carbon Portal, we are set to achieve a 39% carbon saving against baseline. Contributors include a reduction in fill material in the lagoons, eliminating 200+ wagon movements.
Kimblesworth
Project: Kimblesworth Mine Water Treatment Scheme
Location: County Durham
Value band: <£1m
Client: Coal Authority
At the former Kimblesworth colliery we constructed a new treatment scheme with aeration cascade, reed beds, channels, pipework, and landscaping.
The earthworks were delivered right first time and four weeks ahead of programme by using a GPS dozer working from a CAD model. Furthermore, no topsoil was removed from site; all was reused as growing medium in the reed beds.
Craig Yr Aber
Project: Craig Yr Aber Mine Water Treatment Scheme
Location: Bridgend, Wales
Value band: £1m-5m
Client: Coal Authority
To treat mine water prior to discharge into the environment, we engineered a new passive mine water treatment scheme, comprising settlement ponds, wetlands and drying beds.
Innovative bales made of recycled tyres were used to construct the embankments. Covered in excavated material from site, these provided a structurally-sound, sustainable embankment solution in-keeping with its surroundings
Water and Abandoned Metal Mines
Project: WAMM - Water and Abandoned Metal Mines
Location: Across the UK
Value band: Projects <£1m-5m
Client: Coal Authority
Awards: CIEEM Best Practice Award - Small Scale Mitigation - Highley Commended
More: WaterProjectsOnline
Working closely with the Coal Authority, we have undertaken
ecological mitigation work at several sites as part of the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines (WAMM) programme.
The Programme aims to support the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan and River Basin Management Plans by implementing measures to address severe chronic river pollution and deliver a cleaner water environment for people and wildlife.