On Site Mine Water Treatment Scheme Management and Sampling

Intended to effectively and passively treat pumped water from the Hope Shaft the scheme has been maintained and operated for a number of years with great success with support and assistance from the Coal Authority. The mine water treatment scheme (MWTS) on site at Caphouse Colliery is located near the Hope Pit / Hope Stores section of the site and contains two settlement lagoons, a balance chamber, four concrete lagoons and two parallel reed beds. Water is pumped to ensure it remains at or below acceptable levels as determined by the Mine Manager and these levels and flow rates are subject to change at the instruction of the Mine Manager. Due to the nature and the goals of the MWTS, both environmentally and ecologically, the project must be sympathetically managed and maintained, records kept and be accessible and referable at any time. Additionally as this is a publicly accessible space the site of the MWTS must be kept in a safe, secure and orderly condition at all times. The MWTS must ensure compliance with the Environment Agency guidelines and meet or improve upon the agreed consent levels for impurities in the downstream watercourse following treatment. At the time of writing the consent levels for dissolved iron hydroxide or particulate iron hydroxide at the terminal point of the managed MWTS must be kept below 3 ppm, monitored regularly to ensure these levels are maintained or bettered and recorded fully both for internal and Coal Authority records.