Water treatment at the Avenue

The Avenue Coke Works

• Processed coal to produce coke

• Coke used as a smokeless fuel and in the steel-making industry

• Wastes from the process left behind when the works closed in 1992

Contaminated water

• Large ponds or lagoons containing oil-contaminated water

• Rainwater run-off collected from working areas

Water treatment plant

• Contaminated water is cleaned at the water treatment plant

Water treatment plant

• Dirty water is collected

• Oil is skimmed off from the surface

• Sediments are allowed to settle out

Water treatment plant

• Water pH is adjusted before it enters the biological treatment tank

• Microbes digest contaminants in the water

• Air is pumped in to help this process

Water treatment plant

• Water is further filtered to remove any remaining contaminants

• Large ponds contain clean water ready to be used around the site