Monitoring and optimisation of the Force Crag metal mine water system
The Force Crag mine water treatment system was the UK’s first fully passive large-scale treatment scheme. It removes pollutant metals from mine drainage.
Project leader
Dr Adam Jarvis
Dr Neil Gray
Dates
2015-2020
Project staff
Dr Catherine Gandy
Sponsors
Coal Authority
Partners
Environmental Agency
National Trust
Description
Passive treatment schemes do not use energy or chemicals.
Force Crag Mine is an open access area in one of the UK’s most popular National Parks. It has Scheduled Monument and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) status. It was a major source of pollution to local waterways. To treat the metal rich mine water, we constructed a full-scale passive mine water remediation scheme.
We carried out the process design of the system following lab- and pilot-scale trials. The project developed understanding of the exact nature of biogeochemical reactions. We investigated how hydraulic factors and changing environmental conditions influence those processes. We identified the best operating conditions for the maximum removal of metals from mine drainage.