Site Selection

During our investigations to find the most suitable location for the treatment, the site adjacent to Newmills Road in Dalkeith has been chosen based on:

• There is no requirement for the mine water to be pumped over long distance for treatment, minimising local disruption during construction of the works and long term operating costs for the scheme;
• It enables the pumping station and the treatment scheme to be at the same location;
• Allows the treated water to be easily discharged into the River South Esk.

The discharge at Junkies Adit is significant as it has a high flow of mine water, between 100 and 200l/s, heavily concentrated with iron, therefore making it the obvious location for The Coal Authority to locate a treatment scheme.

During periods of heavy rain, the adit can flush up to 300l/s of mine water into the river. When the water flow increases, higher levels of iron and manganese may be present, therefore causing complications for treatment options due to the varying flows of iron concentrations at different periods of time.

Due to the flow of the adit and presence of other minerals within the water discharge and the variation of water quality established by constant monitoring of the mine water, it has taken approximately 10 years of technical evaluation to establish that Junkies Adit would be the most appropriate location for the active treatment scheme.

The site photographed in 2023

The land was purchased by The Coal Authority back in 2019 and further land purchased in 2022 within vicinity to the site selected. The size of the land required for HDS active scheme is approximately 8000m²; although the site off Newmills Road is relatively a snug fit for the scheme, its location is extremely important for operational and cost benefit purposes.