The zero liquid waste project, first announced in April 2011 and constructed by Veolia, was unveiled to the public in July.

It will service Consol’s Blacksville No 2, Loveridge and Robinson Run longwall mines.

As Consol Energy's 103rd water treatment operation, the facility near Mannington is designed to treat a maximum flow of 3500 gallons per minute of mine water, helping the producer meet discharge standards for chlorides in West Virginia's waterways.

The mine water is pre-treated at these locations for metals removal prior to conveyance through approximately 34 miles of pipeline spanning virtually three West Virginia counties to the centralised treatment facility.

Through the use of the ZLW process, water of low quality is extracted and treated, with clean water returned to the ecosystem, improving the water balance and condition of the neighbouring Monongahela River watershed.

Veolia said it estimated a positive water impact of 1.3 billion gallons per year.

According to the companies, Veolia will provide operational management for the next 10 years, allowing Consol guaranteed continual performance and optimisation of the system.

“In partnering with Veolia on this first of its kind in scale and scope project, we were able to bring the water treatment plant online on time, under budget and in full compliance with our permits,” environmental strategy and regulatory affairs senior vice-president Katharine Fredriksen said.

“This demonstrates the success of partnering with a company that shares our commitment to our core values of safety, compliance, and continuous improvement.”

Veolia Environment North America industrial business executive VP and chief operating officer Steve Hopper added that the partnership with Consol went beyond meeting regulatory requirements.

“It combines technical know-how with operational expertise to implement a solution which positively impacts the environment while meeting the production needs of Consol through guaranteed performance,” he said.