Study of Afşin-Elbistan lignite mines drainage water and water quality of coal basin

Drainage is done with approximately 350 wells and approximately 4.4 millions m3 of water is drained per month from Afşin-Elbistan Lignite Mine 96 % of the water is due to Köseyahya Nap limestone, covering only South-West of the mine and with karstic structure, other portion is due to sedimentary land called as Ahmetçik Formation. The drained water is discharged to Hurman stream through 16 km long open drainage channel. Some of the water is taken and used for irrigation of agricultural fields before it reaches Hurman stream. Some wells in karstic land are allocated to the State Provincial Administration and to surrounding municipalities for utilization as drinking water. Additionally, water needed by the mine is being provided from the drained karstic land.In this study, compliance of the drained water as drinking water with TSE 266, and also compliance of the drained water as irrigation water with Water Pollution Control Regulation Technical Procedures Report Irrigation Water Criteria has been evaluated. Therefore, water chemistry analyses have been done by taking samples from sedimentary land, karstic land and surface drainage. In addition, samples have been obtained from each of entry and exit of the basin, surface and groundwater, in order to investigate water quality and observe the effects of the operation in Afşin-Elbistan Basin. Samples have been evaluted by help of different diagrams to determine water quality.As a result, AEL lignite mine has been found to have no negative effect on groundwater and Hurman stream in terms of water quality. All of the drained water has been found appropriate for being used as irrigation water and the water in karstic land has been found appropriate for being used as drinking water. In the basin outlet waters, no sign of contamination has been observed for surface water and groundwater. Some draigned surface water has been found appropriate for irrigation but same has been not.