Coal Authority

The Coal Authority manages over 75 mine water treatment schemes across Britain, handling and treating over 122 billion litres of mine water every year.

The Authority’s work to treat mine water has directly:

Protected and improved over 350km of rivers
Protected several important regional aquifers
Enhanced biodiversity and provided local amenity land

Why do we need coal mine water treatment?

When a coal mine closes, the pumps that were used to keep the water out of the mine while the mineral was extracted are switched off and removed. Over time the water level recovers within the mine and picks up naturally occurring minerals from the rocks, such as iron. This can coat river beds, stopping plant growth, causing wildlife to move on as they no longer have food.

How do we treat coal mine water?

Typically mine water is brought to the top of a cascade structure. Water flows down these steps, which mixes in air. The air encourages the dissolved iron in the water to become solid. The water then flows into lagoons where the iron has time to settle at the bottom for removal and the remaining finer iron particles are filtered out when the water passes through a series of reed beds.

Vivian (Six Bells) Mine Water Treatment Scheme (2023)

A mine water treatment scheme was implemented at Vivian (Six Bells) by the Coal Authority as an environmental service under its national remediation programme in 2006. Vivian (Six Bells) is located in South Wales, approximately 20km north of Cardiff next to the village of Abertillery. A mine water discharge from the Vivian Shaft was discovered in […]

Lynemouth Mine Water Treatment Scheme (MWTS) Phase 2 (2020)

The Lynemouth Colliery was part of a larger mining block linked to Ellington Colliery (Ellington Combine) that worked reserves under the North Sea; the mining block extended inland close to Morpeth. Groundwater lies above the rocks forming the coal measures. If mine water was to rise unchecked, it could pollute a source of water for […]

WAMM (Water & Abandoned Metal Mines) Programme (2019)

Abandoned metal mines pollute approximately 1,500km of rivers in England and contribute about 50% of the cadmium, lead and zinc in surface waters despite most closing in the early 20th century. The WAMM (Water and Abandoned Metal Mines) Programme is a partnership between the Environment Agency, the Coal Authority and the Department for Environment, Food […]

Horden Passive Mine Water Treatment Scheme (2012)

A partnership delivering a sustainable solution to the legacy of mine closures

Clough Foot Mine Water Treatment Scheme (2010)

Minewater Treatment Scheme delivering environment improvements

Dawdon Mine Water Treatment Scheme (2009)

Innovative aquifer protection scheme in County Durham

Lamesley WwTW (2005)

First wetland to co-treat minewater and final effluent