Frontier Water systems has designed and built two SeHAWK® plants at a western limestone quarry, both of which accomplish dewatering and treatment of flows required to maintain mining operations in the pit. Built in 2018, the second plant has a capacity of 1200 gpm and contains two SeHAWK® modular bioreactors in conjunction with ultrafiltration and reverse-osmosis equipment to attain high flow treatment with a reduced footprint.

A phosphate mine in Idaho has a 2000 gpm groundwater stream contaminated with selenium that must be treated prior to discharge. To minimize plant footprint, Frontier Water Systems integrated ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse-osmosis (RO) processes in conjunction with two SeHAWK® modular bioreactors.  This innovative UF + RO + Bioreactor treatment configuration achieves high rate selenium removal from the stream, with the added benefit of an RO permeate stream to dilute the treated brine stream, allowing for contaminant removal to ultra-low levels. The plant has been fully operational since 2017 and continues to meet selenium discharge requirements for the customer.

To mitigate the impact of mining operations on a local wetland, a Western US mine must collect and treat a selenium contaminated groundwater stream prior to discharge.

To deliver environmental compliance without a large footprint or construction effort, Frontier Water Systems supplied a modular SeHAWK® bioreactor along with auxiliary plant equipment, housed inside a 2000 sq. ft tent structure. Commissioned in 2015, the selenium treatment plant has operated continuously by Frontier Water field engineer staff to maintain high rate selenium reduction to >95% removal.

To maintain mining operations at a limestone quarry in California, the mine operator must continually dewater the open pit and treat the stream for selenium and nickel prior to discharge. The first of two plants, a 500 gpm facility was designed and built in 2014 under an expedited timeline. The compact footprint, modular plant was built within the confines of the mine pit, requiring only a level gravel surface for installation. Since installation, the SeHAWK® bioreactors have been operational to achieve a stringent discharge limit of 4 ppb selenium.