Magcobar Mine Site Water Treatment System
- Location: Magnet Cove, Arkansas
- Client: Halliburton Energy Services and TRE Management
- Client Contact: James McGinty, ( 281) 575-4428
- Project Duration: 2003 - Present
- Capacity: 3,000,000 gpd (2,100 gpm)
System Configuration
The Magcobar Mine Site Water Treatment System (WTS) takes water from an abandoned barite mine pit and
treats to remove metals and adjust pH before discharge into Chamberlain Creek. The system consists of a
floating baffle curtain in the mine pit separating the raw influent mine water in Pit Lake from the smaller
pH adjusted water in Curtain Bay (the other side of the baffle curtain). The low pH influent in Pit Lake is
pumped from a floating raft pump into the treatment building where it is treated with lime and polymer in
two series reactor tanks. The pH-adjusted water is then put into a clarifier for settling and solids
removal. Then, the water goes into a third reactor tank for final pH adjustment with hydrochloric acid and
soda ash before going into one of two holding ponds before discharge into Chamberlain Creek.
Detailed Process Description
The quantity of water discharged each day is set by the natural flow in Chamberlain Creek and a
downstream river. Once this is determined through a hydraulically controlled release calculation, the
treatment and discharge regimen for the day is established. The discharge into the creek can vary from 0 to
1,500 gpm by regulation. The total plant capacity is about 2,100 gpm. Any excess treated water over and
above the discharge limit is recycled back to the source.
The intake pumps in Pit Lake withdraw the influent water and send it into the treatment building where
the main process units are located. In the first reactor tank lime is mixed with the water to raise the pH
for downstream treatment. A portion of the pH-adjusted water is returned to Curtain Bay. In the second
reactor tank, polymer is mixed with the water to form floc for settling. Following the second reactor tank
the water undergoes settling in a clarifier. The clarified effluent is sent to a third reactor for further
pH-adjustment with hydrochloric acid and soda ash.
After the final pH adjustment, the treated water is sent to the effluent holding ponds prior to the
controlled discharge into Chamberlain Creek.
All of the sludge is returned to Curtain Bay. This is done to assist in filling the mine pit over a
period of time. The WTS is an interim treatment system designed to improve the mine pit water.
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