Environment

The water cycle at SURF: 15 years of clean water downstream

SDPB Radio | By Ryan Bozer

Published October 4, 2024 at 11:58 AM CDT

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The treated water exits the final pipe and heads downhill into Gold Run Creek in Lead.

Ryan Bozer / SDPB

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Water from deep underground at SURF is filtered through these tanks, drawing out any large particles like iron.

Ryan Bozer / SDPB

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Large bags collect any of the large particulates captured from the filters.

Ryan Bozer / SDPB

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A rotating biological contactor (RBC) at SURF. An array of these are the final pass before the water is considered clean and discharged out into the nearby creek.

Ryan Bozer / SDPB

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A closer look at the rotating surface inside of the rotating biological contactor. The rotating barrel inside has a layer of micro-organisms that act as a cleaning agent.

Ryan Bozer / SDPB

Sandford Underground Research Facility in Lead operates its scientific laboratories deep underground in what used to be the Homestake Goldmine.

There's nuance to keeping operations running deep underground.

Water seeps down from the surface and mixes with contaminants from the rocks and mine infrastructure left behind. If it wasn't for pumps maintaining the water level down below, research would be damped.

What happens to the water once it's moved from underground? SURF superintendent for the Wastewater Treatment Plant David Johnson and Environmental Manager Bonita Goode explain how the water makes it journey from down below and out into Gold Run Creek.

SURFwaterweb.mp3