Continuous Co-treatment of Mine Drainage with Municipal Wastewater

Synthetic acid mine drainage (AMD) was co-treated with synthetic MWW in a continuously-operating (24 hr/d) bench-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The treatment system simulates addition of AMD after aeration but before secondary settling. SBRs treated MWW with two strengths of AMD (91 and 720 mg/L as CaCO3 Acidity) to capture the variations of coal AMD chemistry and strength observed in the field. Each co-treatment phases lasted 40+ days, during which clarified effluent and settled sludge quality was routinely monitored to determine impacts of co-treatment on the wastewater microbial community.