Changes in the flow rate of the Sztoła River (Olkusz area) under mining drainage conditions

The Sztoła River is a left-bank tributary of the Biała Przemsza River, into which it flows on the outskirts of the Jaworzno city. Mining of the Quaternary backfilling sands in the Szczakowa sand pit, which is located near the estuary of the Szoła River, began in the mid-1950s. At the beginning of the 1960s, the excavations of the underground Olkusz mine of zinc and lead ores, which was built to the east of the upper part of the Sztoła River, began to be drained. The excavations occurred in Triassic carbonate rocks. The gravity drainage system of the Szczakowa sand pit was moving east, up the river, and at the same time the difference between the drainage affected and the natural groundwater level in the Sztoła Riverbasin increased. At the end of the1960s the level and length of the main drainage excavations in the Olkusz mine were already stabilized. The changing range of the Szczakowa sand pit drainage and the quasi-fixed drainage range of the Olkusz mine had an impact on the supply conditions of the Sztoła River, which was recharged by underground water from the Olkusz-Pomorzany mine. The paper presents the results of the analysis of the drainage impact of both mines on changes in the flow rate of the Sztoła River in the years 1959-2021 and an estimated forecast of the river condition after shutting down the drainage of the Olkusz area mines in December 2021

Coal Mine Drainage as a Source of Drinking and Industrial Water—The Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland

Water is one of the most important resources found on Earth, essential for all forms of life. Both the quantity and quality of water resources are crucial for the health of the population and for economic sectors, making water a factor in determining a society’s standard of living. Mine water serves as an appealing source of both drinking and technological water. Regardless of the exploitation method, it must be pumped to the surface and, usually, treated to meet environmental standards. In most cases, it is discharged to rivers. In this article, we present a model of the use of mine water from three pumping stations of decommissioned coal mines in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin—Jan Kanty, Saturn, and Boże Dary. Water from these pumping stations is characterized by good qualitative and quantitative parameters. The results of the physico-chemical composition analyses carried out in the years 2012–2022 did not reveal any excessive amounts of toxic components or treatment difficulties. Given the long operational lifespan of these pumping stations and their existing water extraction infrastructure, they emerge as promising sources of both potable and industrial water supply, demanding minimal treatment efforts