Premier Water Solutions has been working with Exeter University on a project tracking trace metal concentrations in water and sediment from the Carnon River and Trevaunance Stream.
The project was funded by the Cornwall Council Shared Prosperity Fund and Entrepreneurial Futures.
The report on trace metal concentrations is the first collaboration with Premier Water Solutions and the University of Exeter, paving the way for future pioneering water research in Cornwall and Devon.
Louisa Inch, from Premier Water Solutions, said: “This engagement shows that Premier Water Solutions is working beyond the ‘normal water spheres’ by accepting challenges beyond our usual working practices. We are leading the way on reporting on heavy metal concentrations of water quality in the Carnon River. This project helps cement the reputation of Premier Water Solutions as the expert leaders in water management in Cornwall and Devon.”
The detailed analysis improved the understanding of the interactions of the geo-, hydro- and biosphere in acid mine drainage (AMD) contaminated areas is of great importance, especially where such areas pose potentially significant risk to the public.
Cornwall is affected in many places by its heritage of mining for metalliferous ores, and features some of the most contaminated regions in the country.
The Carnon River is considered one of the most contaminated catchments in the UK. The Carnon River intersects with residential areas and recreational spaces, and therefore contaminants may pose substantial health risks where they are leached, bio-available or become airborne.
The Bissoe Bridge serves as a connection infrastructure for traffic and people between the narrow margins of the Carnon River. However, during the heavy rain season, the bridge becomes flooded for several months impeding its normal use and attracting children to play. The loss of serviceability when the bridge is flooded, and worries about the health effects on children, has raised major concerns within the context that this area was affected by rupture of a tailings dam at the nearby Wheal Jane mine in 1992, and the associated environmental disaster.
The Carnon River water also floods the gardens of some properties adjacent to the bridge and Clemows Stream, which is of particular concern for nearby residents due in large part to the association of the Carnon River and Wheal Jane with AMD-related contamination.
Under the scope of the Shared Prosperity Fund project, and in partnership with Premier Water Solutions, the report presented the geochemical data collected from sediments and water in the Carnon Valley to contribute to a better understanding of the impact of legacy mining on water and sediment within the area.
To read the full report, click here.
To find out more on the University of Exeter Geotracer Facility, click here.