Saturated Rock Fill (SRF) facilities rely on microbially mediated geochemical reactions to attenuate nitrate and selenium in mine-influenced water. This presentation examines the biogeochemical processes that control treatment performance in full-scale SRFs, drawing on more than a decade of operational experience at the Elkview (EVO) and Fording River North (FRO-N) facilities in British Columbia.
The presentation describes the biogeochemical conceptual model for SRFs, including biomass development, redox progression, and the behavior of key constituents such as nitrate, selenium, sulphate, iron, and trace metals. Monitoring results demonstrate consistent redox-driven treatment mechanisms across facilities and highlight how reagent dosing, residence time, and entrainment influence water chemistry and long-term system performance.
