Divers complete underwater operation at Dawdon Mine Water Treatment Scheme

A team of specialist divers and marine engineers have completed maintenance works to offshore pipes at the Coal Authority’s Dawdon Mine Water Treatment Scheme (MWTS) as part of a major marine civil engineering project.
The MWTS, situated 1km south of Dawdon in County Durham treats mine water that has built up since the pumping of mine water stopped after the closure of the local collieries. Each year it treats over 2,000 million litres of mine water.
Due to its location near to the coast and the high saline content of the mine water, The Dawdon MWTS uses two Short Sea Outfall pipes (SSO) to take treated water from Dawdon and to the North Sea where it safely disperses into the seawater.
As part of work to maintain the flow of water leaving the site a team of specialist divers spent several weeks in June working underwater in North Sea, running the operation from a Barge situated near the location of the SSO.