The Coal Authority has made two new multi-million pound awards to protect the nation’s environment from polluted water from disused coal and metal mines.

Severn Trent Services has been awarded a 10-year contract worth a minimum of £25 million with a likely overall contract spend in excess of £50 million. They will operate and maintain the Authority’s 82 mine water treatment schemes, pumping stations and mine gas facilities in Britain, plus new schemes to be built in the future.

Civil engineering firm JN Bentley has been awarded a 4-year framework agreement with an expected value of between £2.5 million to around £4 million a year, to design and construct new mine water treatment schemes.

The three organisations will be working together using a new partnership approach, which will focus on continuous improvement through the design of innovative and sustainable solutions.

The Coal Authority had invited tenders from qualified and experienced contractors to create the new strategic partnership. The selection process tested them on their technical competence, experience and on whether they had the right cultural fit in terms of innovation, environmental protection, health and safety and a partnering philosophy.

(Photo: Hockery Brook mine water treatment scheme)

Partnership working will take place from concept through to the construction and operation of each mine water treatment scheme.

The Authority’s existing schemes prevent over 4,000 tonnes of iron solids from entering Britain’s watercourses every year. They also protect a number of the nation’s drinking water aquifers from pollution from rising mine waters. The Authority recently built its first mine water treatment schemes to address pollution from metal mines, at Force Crag in the Lake District and at Saltburn Gill in North Yorkshire.

Severn Trent Services will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of a wide variety of schemes, some of which are extremely complex and challenging. These include pumped and passive (gravity) treatment systems, aeration processes, chemical dosing, settlement lagoons and reed beds.

Severn Trent Services will undertake a survey of the Coal Authority’s current mine water treatment schemes to evaluate their efficiency and asset conditions, then operate and maintain them. They will also monitor over 800 sites, taking readings of water levels and gas concentrations to track and control the wider effects of mining legacy.

Speaking at the official contract signing, Simon Reed, Chief Operating Officer, Coal Authority said:

“The procurement process has been extremely competitive and we received many high quality proposals. We are delighted to announce that we will be combining our expertise with that of Severn Trent Services and JN Bentley to continue to resolve the impacts of mining on the environment. Our programmes for addressing water pollution from both coal and metal mines will be enhanced as we work together to deliver innovation and schemes with strong economic and environmental benefits.”