The adoption and adaptation of passive treatment technologies for mine waters in the United Kingdom

During the 1990s, passive treatment technology was introduced to the United Kingdom (UK). Early hesitancy on the part of regulators and practitioners was rapidly overcome, at least for net-alkaline mine waters, so that passive treatment is now the technology of choice for the long-term remediation of such discharges, wherever land availability is not unduly limiting. Six types of passive systems are now being used in the UK for mine water treatment:

–	♦ aerobic, surface flow wetlands (reed-beds);
–	♦ anaerobic, compost wetlands with significant surface flow;
–	♦ mixed compost/limestone systems, with predominatly subsurface flow (so-calledReducing andAlkalinityProducingSystems (RAPS));
–	♦ subsurface reactive barriers to treat acidic, metalliferous ground waters;
–	♦ closed-system limestone dissolution systems for zinc removal from alkaline waters;
–	♦ roughing filters for treating ferruginous mine waters where land availability is limited.

Each of these technologies is appropriate for a different kind of mine water, or for specific hydraulic circumstances. The degree to which each type of system can be considered “proven technology” corresponds to the order in which they are listed above. Many of these passive systems have become foci for detailed scientific research, as part of a $1.5M European Commission project running from 2000 to 2003.