Operating mines in a remote area of Missouri, this confidential client needed to implement mine water treatment systems at five sites to remove heavy metals. Woodard & Curran partnered with Alberici Constructors to deliver flexible, innovative, high-performance treatment facilities that meet all treatment goals. Woodard & Curran has operated all six sites since startup, and they have exemplary compliance records.
Field and pilot testing identified potential treatment options, but not all would be able to meet the complex treatment goals in the footprint available. Ultimately, the team selected a reliable, flexible technology that used ballasted sedimentation (CoMag). The regulatory agencies involved in the project were unfamiliar with the process, so Woodard & Curran worked with them to build confidence in the solution and secured all required permits with no resubmittals
The mines operate twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and occur over one thousand feet below ground producing lead, copper, and zinc. Fluctuations in operations can lead to large swings in the volume and composition of water produced. The solution that Woodard & Curran designed and Alberici built adapts to changing characteristics and meet stringent permit limits.
With six facilities to build, the design team focused on creating a system that would work at all locations. Construction was sequenced carefully to confirm that the infrastructure would operate as expected, and the design was standardized to simplify construction of each subsequent facility.
The team’s work with regulators on preliminary design and construction permit applications streamlined the process and eliminated time-consuming back and forth and potential delays.
Woodard & Curran’s staff of four operators run the six treatment plants, which are spread across 30 miles in rural Missouri. Each plant shares the same layout and equipment. Remote monitoring and controls allow our operators to check one plant’s performance while working at another, reducing the need to travel between sites.