[Clean water. What are the Kempische Steenkoolmijnen doing for this?].

Abstract

Social obligations about the environment have always been a point of major concern at the N.V. Kempense Steenkoolenmijnen; so the company could not ignore environmental standards and existing regulations. This paper focusses attention on the importance of clean water for human health and civilization. Natural water occurs as rainwater, groundwater, surface water and seawater. Waterpollution, its measurement and the possible sources of this pollution are briefly discussed. Attention is also paid to existing regulations which implicate the introduction of discharge conditions. The N.V. Kempense Steenkoolenmijnen can't deny being a polluter. The company produces five types of wastewater, which are discharged into several surface waters. This is a specific contamination containing salts and coal particles. Flow rates are high but variable. To fight this pollution the N.V. Kempense Steenkoolenmijnen has worked out an investment program for each of its five collieries. The treatment of wastewater at a settling basin of the Zolder-colliery is described as an example.