Coal body bids to reduce minewater pumping bills

It is discussing proposals with Durham County Council and the Environment Agency that would cut the annual £1m bill - without harming the environment.

There are about nine pumping stations west of the River Wear where water has been allowed to rise to ten metres below ground. In east Durham there is no pumping, as the water is 70 to 90 metres below sea level although it is rising.

The authority wants to let the west Durham water rise and discharge it into the river from a new pipeline at Page Bank, near Spennymoor, doing away with the need for a lot of pumping.

The water is reasonably clean and the authority already has Environment Agency approval to discharge it into the river.

In east Durham, where the water is more polluted, a treatment and pumping station would be built to discharge it into a watercourse or the sea.

David Wilkinson, the county council's business manager for land reclamation and laboratories, said the authority was looking at the council's comments on the draft risk assessment.

"There are areas where I felt I needed more reassurance - such as how they would deal with subsidence," he said.

"They have gone away to think about how they will monitor what happens to the ground when the water rises.

"We have made a lot of effort to make sure mine water is properly looked after and we don't want to lose all that now when we are approaching a final solution.''

Councillor Bob Pendlebury, lead member for sustainability, said: "We have the chance to invest in measures which will lower running costs, but still protect the environment. We are looking to see if they are feasible.

"Savings should only be made if it is clear that the environment and attractiveness of County Durham for future commercial and residential development will not be threatened and suffer as a consequence.''

Water levels and quality will be monitored and pumping resumed in west Durham if needed.

No one was available for comment at the Coal Authority.