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DISUSED COAL MINE

DISUSED COAL MINE

Newburn technical expertise solves problem with removing excess water from a disused coal mine and avoids environmental contamination

Project

Delivery and off-loading of 250Kva generator and fuel tank.


Brief

Provide power for several submersible pumps to remove excess water from a disused mine and transfer it to a holding lagoon.


Problem

Although a certain amount of water is allowed in the mine to fill voids and reduce the risk of an old tunnel collapsing, the Environment Agency and DEFRA constantly monitor levels carefully to avoid the build up of any excess, which can contain pollutants such as iron and zinc. These and other minerals could contaminate water supplies and surrounding land.

Monitoring staff called us to report that our generator was tripping out occasionally and as a result water levels had risen to an unacceptable level, posing an environmental risk.


Newburn response

One of our engineers visited the site immediately and discovered that the problem was not with the generator but with the submersible pumps, several of which had been connected to a single distribution board n a way that caused them to all start together. This created a huge demand in a single hit, causing the trip-out.

Our engineer’s proposed solution was for the pumps to be re-set sequentially to spread start-up demand.


Outcome

Our recommendation was accepted and implemented. It was 100% successful, reducing excess water levels in time to prevent any contamination and in the process providing a clear demonstration of how our technical expertise and flexible, pro-active way of working can make a huge difference to our clients’ operations.