Kier has been appointed to do the stage one design and enabling works leading into the construction for stage two for the scheme at Thorpe Hesley in Rotherham.
The project is part of the Coal Authority’s approach to managing the risk of rising mine water in old underground coal workings.
Kier will design and build a pumped-passive mine water treatment scheme that will be made up of settlement ponds, reed beds and associated pipework on a five-hectare site on land adjacent to the former colliery site. The mine water will be treated through an aeration cascade and a system of settlement ponds and reed beds and then the treated water will be discharged into the watercourse.
The design phase started in August 2024. After the construction phase is completed, trees and bushes will be planted, along with wildflowers, to provide new wildlife habitats.
Eddie Quinn, managing director for Kier’s Natural Resources, Nuclear & Networks’ Environment business, said: “We’ve been working closely with the Coal Authority and applying our skills and experience designing and building engineering schemes with vital long-term habitat creation to support the needs of this scheme in Yorkshire.”
James Bagnall, coal programme lead at the Coal Authority, said: “The Coal Authority manages over 80 mine water treatment schemes across Britain, handling and treating over 122 billion litres of water a year. At Thorpe Hesley, mine water levels have been rising since the 1980s and this important mine water treatment scheme will help to protect drinking water and the local environment.”
The contract was awarded through the Pagabo public sector procurement framework.
