MARYD - With the opening of a water valve Monday, the latest acid mine drainage treatment system in Schuylkill County went into operation.
An inaugural ceremony was held Monday morning at site known as the MaryD Borehole.
"This is a really exciting time for us," said Bill Reichert, president of the Schuylkill Headwaters Association.
Located at the former Little League baseball field on Valley Street in the village, the system is designed to last 25 years and treat an average of 750,000 gallons per day, with the goal of reducing iron loading into the Schuylkill River. The project began several years ago and construction started in November 2012.
A "borehole" is a term used to describe a shaft drilled in the ground to extract water, liquids or gas. The borehole in the village was drilled before the Clean Water Act of 1977 to relieve water in the MaryD Minepool. The act was established to eliminate the release of high amounts of toxic substances into water.
The water at the site is run through limestone to remove the iron. Since some of the iron can precipitate out, the water is then run through a flushing pond to capture any remaining iron or sediment.
"This is the start of the Schuylkill River, so what we do here affects all the water down through the Delaware River. What we do here is even more important," Reichert said.
Reichert said about 80 percent of water in Schuylkill County originates from abandoned mines.
"If no one takes care of this, they will continue to put polluted water back into the streams," he said.
While Monday was the first day the system went into full operation, Reichert said it has already been tested and everything is running as planned. He said it will take a few days for the water to fill the treatment pools.
Schuylkill Headwaters Association received a $664,500 state grant to build the system. The EPA 319 Clean Water Fund grant was administered through the state Department of Environmental Protection under the Growing Greener program. Rettew Associates did the design and engineering work and Miller Brothers Construction did the construction.
Schuylkill Headwaters and the Schuylkill Conservation District will handle the maintenance of the system.
Reichert said the association had identified 10 priority sites in the Schuylkill River Basin. The MaryD Borehole is now the fifth treatment system located at a priority site, joining the Bell Colliery, Silver Creek, Pine Forest and Otto systems.
Reichert also thanked the MaryD Fire Company and Blaschak Coal Co. for working with the Schuylkill Headwaters Association to complete the project. The MaryD Borehole is located on land owned by MaryD Fire Company and Blaschak Coal Co. donated 10 acres to the fire company for a recreation site and agreed to a lease with Schuylkill Township for a new complex.
Completed in 2007, the new recreation complex includes a baseball field, soccer field, a walking path and a small area for ice skating during the winter. The site cost $432,000.
Sen. David Argall, R-29, said there are many projects in his legislative district but the completion of the MaryD Borehole and the recreation complex are special.
"This one is near and dear to my heart because Dad grew up in Middleport," Argall said. "I certainly remember the days of orange streams in this part of the district. This is where my kids played soccer when they were 4 or 5. They are now in their mid-20s in grad school."
Argall said the field at the new site is now one of the best in the area.
"We now have better access to recreation, we have cleaner streams - it doesn't get any better than that so congratulations to everyone who were involved with this project and keep up the good work," Argall said.
Schuylkill County Commissioner Gary Hess was also at the site Monday.
"These projects bring a lot of use to our streams," Hess said. "On behalf of the Schuylkill County commissioners, I thank you for your due diligence on this project and continuing to make Schuylkill County a better place to live."