Cumbria Leading The Way in Cleaning Up Water Pollution

Cutting-edge techniques are being used to tackle pollution from an abandoned mine in a picturesque pocket of the Lake District

Innovative treatment methods – the first of their kind in Europe – have been unveiled at Force Crag, nestled in the hills above Keswick.

It will clean a six-mile stretch of river which will prevent a tonne of metals including zinc, cadmium and lead from entering Bassenthwaite lake every year.

And its benefits will be lucrative – leading to £4.5m-worth of what those behind the project have described as “environmental benefits” to Keswick’s water and wildlife.

The scheme has had cash backing from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as part of a national drive to tackle water pollution caused by abandoned metal mines.

It was developed by a team from Newcastle University – led by Dr Adam Jarvis – and carried out by the Coal Authority, working with the Environment Agency, National Trust, Lake District National Park Authority and others.

The project has been praised by Water Minister Rory Stewart, who visited the site to see how it works yesterday.

He said: “I’m delighted to open Europe’s first treatment scheme, using the natural environment to clean metal-rich water from the Force Crag abandoned mine. This will improve local water quality while still maintaining the beauty of this truly unique site.

“This project is part of Defra’s £8.5m investment in solutions to tackle mine water pollution and an excellent example of partnership working to bring this world-leading scheme to life.”

The Coal Authority manages more than 70 mine water treatment schemes nationally.

Chairman Stephen Dingle said: “Working with our partners we’ve now built and are managing our first ever passive metal mine water treatment scheme to address the pollution which comes from Force Crag Mine.

“The scheme has been carefully designed to be consistent with the beautiful surroundings and address this major source of metal pollution, which affects Bassenthwaite and other watercourses. We are delighted with its excellent performance in removing in excess of 95 per cent of the metals from the mine water.”

Force Crag Mine worked for zinc, lead and barytes from 1835 until 1991 and was the last working mine in the Lake District.

Now abandoned, it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Area of Conservation and a scheduled monument.

The design of the treatment process now in place there follows more than 10 years of research by Dr Jarvis’ team.

Now it’s in place, the process provides a model that could be used elsewhere.

Keith Ashcroft, of the Environment Agency, said: “This system is the first of its kind in the Europe and the results of monitoring here will help to design even more effective, sustainable, mine water treatment systems for the 1,700 km of rivers polluted by abandoned metal mines elsewhere in England.

“Innovations such as this over the next five years will help the Environment Agency to work in partnership to improve another 6,000kms of rivers and 50 bathing waters.”

Source: News & Star

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• Environment
• Pollution
• Mine Water Management