Project to improve River South Esk moves into next stage
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-09)

Dalkeith residents invited to drop-in for 3D virtual tour of new mine water treatment scheme and to have a say on landscaping options at site.

Our new Dalkeith mine water treatment scheme has reached a significant phase in its development, with excavation works now under way and key construction milestones successfully completed.

Following the site clearance, surveys, ground stabilisation and setup of construction facilities, the project – being built by the Mining Remediation Authority as part of our work to make a better future for people and the environment in coalfield areas of Scotland – is moving into its next stage.

Now the community is being invited to preview the final design through an interactive virtual tour and have a say on the landscaping of the finished scheme, as well as find out more about what works are planned later this year.

Josh Turner, of the Mining Remediation Authority’s community response and stakeholder engagement team, said:

We’re really excited to welcome the people of Dalkeith to our drop-in event at the town’s library on Thursday 25 September. It’s a great chance to see how the mine water treatment scheme is progressing, explore the site in 3D, and share your ideas on landscaping and screening.

Whether you’re curious about the engineering or passionate about the environment, the team and I would love to meet you for a chat over a cup of tea. Don’t miss this opportunity to help shape a project that’s designed to benefit the area for generations to come.

Over the next few months:
- site levelling will continue after the retaining walls are in place
- piling works will be followed by the placing of concrete foundations
- construction will start on the walls of the treatment building
The scheme, funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-energy-security-and-net-zero), is being built to clean water coming from the former Bilston Glen colliery, which has been discharging through a historical mine passageway called Old Fordell adit, also known locally as Junkies Adit.

This has been turning stretches of the River South Esk orange, as high levels of dissolved iron, picked up from the extensive network of old mine workings, becomes solid when it mixes with air and settles out of the water.

Our work is designed to help the river recover naturally, restoring the habitat for aquatic life, improving biodiversity and enhancing the area’s natural beauty.

Join us at the community drop-in

📍 Dalkeith Library, 2 White Hart Street, EH22 1AE 📅 25 September 2025 🕐 1pm to 7pm

This follows on from a series of events in 2024 (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/find-out-about-coal-authority-project-to-improve-river-south-esk) and you can sign up for updates on the project here (https://www2.groundstability.com/project-spaces/dalkeith/email-newsletter/).

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