Fracking Wastewater

Situation

Kolina was selected as a wastewater partner for a mining companies flagship site, and the UK’s only then active fracking mine in Lancashire. Kolina was commissioned to treat the surface runoff water and the flowback water from the fracking activities, in two separate contracts.

As per the fracking permit, the whole exploration site was sealed with membranes to contain all spillages, rain and process flow. This water was directed to a bund dug around the site, and this was treated using Kolina’s 4-cell plant (20 m³/hr capacity) plant and discharged to a local brook.

Solution

Kolina’s plant was able to treat the effluent to achieve very stringent Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) discharge consent which was comparative to drinking water applications. Contaminants removed included Oil, Suspended Solids, Cadmium, Chlorides, Benzene, Arsenic, Nickel, Zinc, Cobalt and Copper.

Result

Kolina’s treatment solution allowed the site to manage its effluent needs. The quality of the treated effluent was in line with the tight EA consent for discharge into the local brook.

The client saved not having to pay for up to 12 tanker loads per day on average.

The environmental impacts from huge traffic through the local community were eliminated.