The Early Development of Passive Treatment Systems for Mining-Influenced Water: A North American Perspective

This paper reviews the early history (first 20 years) of passive treatment of mine water, from its beginnings, when it was viewed as a possible way to treat small flows of circumneutral and mildly acidic coal mine drainage, to its use for much larger flows and more contaminated mine water from metal mines. The original concepts of passive treatment have since been modified and used successfully to treat a wide range of mine water quality and quantities, far more than we would have believed possible.