Appendix C (I-C) - WTP Process Description and BFD

A ALBEMARLE.' HUTCH
Albemarle-Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description-2024-03-26
Albemarle
Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description
Min., —n Linguist,Larry Young,Kevin
f3rv,ker, Kat-2w Livgu �`L
024-03-26 2024-03-26 2024-03-26
2024-03-26 F Issued for K. Brinker L. Linguist K. Young
Permitting
2024-03-18 E Client Review K. Brinker L. Linguist K. Young
2024-03-01 D Internal Review K. Brinker L. Linguist K. Young
2023-12-14 C Issued for L. Linguist L. AI-Zayat C. Clarke
Select
2023-12-08 B Client Review L. Linguist L. AI-Zayat C. Clarke
2023-09-14 A Internal Review L. Linguist L. AI-Zayat C. Clarke N/R
Date Rev. Status Prepared By Checked By I Approved By Ap oved B
HUTCH Client
H371132-3000-226-208-0001, Rev. F
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.-�LB�:`1��1: L HATC H
Albemarle- Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description-2024-03-26
Table of Contents
1. Introduction.....................................................................................................................................1
2. Process Description........................................................................................................................1
2.1 WTP Feed Tank and Pumps....................................................................................................2
2.2 WTP Chemical Pretreatment....................................................................................................2
2.3 Aeration Tank..........................................................................................................................3
2.4 Reaction Tank .........................................................................................................................3
2.5 Clarifier....................................................................................................................................4
2.6 Clarified Water Tank................................................................................................................5
2.7 Ultrafiltration (UF) System........................................................................................................5
2.8 Reverse Osmosis (RO) System ...............................................................................................6
2.9 Brine Recovery RO System .....................................................................................................7
2.10 Treated Water Tank.................................................................................................................8
2.11 Sludge Storage Tank...............................................................................................................8
2.12 Sludge Thickener.....................................................................................................................8
2.13 Filter Press..............................................................................................................................9
2.14 Process Sumps........................................................................................................................9
2.15 Chemical Feed Systems........................................................................................................ 10
2.16 Monitoring.............................................................................................................................. 10
2.17 Outfall Location...................................................................................................................... 11
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A ALBEMARLE ' HATC H
Albemarle-Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description -2024-03-26
1. Introduction
Hatch has been retained by Albemarle to complete Select Phase engineering for the Kings
Mountain Mining Project(KMMP) in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.
One (1)Water Treatment Plant(WTP)will be installed on the Project site. The WTP will
receive inflows of Excess Water from the Process Plant and seepage and runoff from Rock
Storage Facility X (RSF-X), which contains Potential Acid Generating (PAG) materials (PAG
Seepage). Treated water from the WTP will be discharged to Water Storage Basin 1, and
either reused within the plant facility or discharged to Kings Creek through a permitted outfall.
This Process Description summarizes the process steps in the WTP that will be installed and
operated at KMMP site. The process is illustrated in the Process Flow Diagrams (Sheets 1-9),
which are issued separately from this document.
2. Process Description
The process described in this document is proposed for treatment of waters at the KMMP for
discharge and reuse. A treatment plan and proven technologies have been identified that can
meet the treatment objectives outlined below.
WTP Design and Treatment Objectives:
1. Comply with applicable regulatory permit limits for all constituents and compliance
parameters.
2. Allow for WTP operation across all operating modes and flow rates forecasted for KMMP.
3. Provide a robust WTP design that is able to treat contaminants at the predicted influent
levels outlined in the WTP Process Design Basis.
4. Provide adequate uptime for the WTP facility to reduce the risk of bypasses for project
outages. This is accomplished through redundant equipment selections and sizing.
5. Select equipment that will operate robustly over the Life of Mine (LOM) with minimal
maintenance and replacement costs expected.
6. Design the sludge dewatering portion of the WTP to be operated on weekdays only (no
weekend sludge handling shifts).
7. Include safety in design for WTP equipment and operation with industry standard safe
technologies and operating methods.
8. Arrange the WTP equipment in a logical manner while maintaining the WTP footprint
within the space identified in the Select Phase.
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A ALBEMARLE) HATCH
Albemarle-Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description -2024-03-26
9. Select appropriate technologies while considering the number of unique chemicals
required to be on site for WTP operation where feasible to use the same chemical at
multiple locations or for multiple uses.
10. Provide for WTP operation in all ambient temperature conditions anticipated at KMMP
including during winter weather and freezing conditions.
The majority of this equipment is supplied in skid packages to the extent practical, as
recommended by the preferred water treatment equipment supplier.
2.1 WTP Feed Tank and Pumps
Waters to be treated will be collected in the WTP Feed Tank at grade level. These waters are
expected to include:
• Excess Water from the Process Plant
• Seepage and Runoff from Potential-Acid-Generating waste rock(PAG Seepage)
• Other water to be discussed in later sections, including:
• Water collected in the WTP Outdoor Sump
• Water collected in the WTP Indoor Sump
• Ultrafiltration backwash water
Waters collected in this tank will be fed directly into the WTP. Expected feed water quality
and discharge criteria are summarized in the Process Design Basis.
The WTP Feed Tank is designed to provide for 12 hours of storage at peak flow, or roughly
250,000 gallons of storage capacity. The tank will be a vertical, cylindrical tank, roughly 52 ft
in diameter and 20 ft high, located outdoors. It will be an open top tank. Influent conditions
and contaminant loads will vary but sudden peaks and dips will be equalized out in the WTP
Feed Tank during its 12-hour retention time.
Water will be pumped from the WTP Feed Tank to the Aeration Tank by the WTP Feed
Pumps#1 and #2, with one pump in operation and one pump on standby. These pumps will
be located outdoors, near the WTP Feed Tank.
2.2 WTP Chemical Pretreatment
The pH of the WTP will be adjusted prior to the Reaction Tank to promote precipitation of
solids in the form of metal salts. The pH of both WTP influent streams is variable. Therefore,
sulfuric acid and caustic will be added inline intermittently after the WTP Feed Pumps to
adjust pH as necessary to within the target pH range and a pH probe will be installed for pH
monitoring.
Sodium hypochlorite (bleach)will also be injected inline after the WTP Feed Pumps and
upstream of the Aeration Tank to oxidize metals to promote precipitation out of the WTP
influent flow stream.
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A ALBEMARLE ' HATC H
Albemarle-Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description -2024-03-26
2.3 Aeration Tank
The Aeration Tank will oxidize metals, principally iron and manganese. Air will be supplied by
blowers through a coarse-bubble aeration grid. The oxidized iron and manganese will form
the bulk of the solids and adsorb other metals.
The Aeration Tank will be a vertical, cylindrical, closed top tank approximately 10 ft diameter
and 16 ft side shell height, located outdoors. It will have roughly 8,200 gallons of working
capacity and will be kept constant by a high-level discharge in the tank. Level indication for
the tank will also be provided for monitoring. The bottom of the tank will use a coarse-bubble
diffuser assembly to circulate air throughout the tank contents.
The blower skid will supply air to the coarse bubble diffuser. Two blowers, one in operation
and one as a spare, will be outdoors and housed in a sound enclosure on a skid near the
Aeration Tank. The blowers will be positive displacement blowers and move approximately
150 SUM each at 7.5 PSI. Discharge pressure will be indicated at the blowers.
2.4 Reaction Tank
The purpose of the Reaction Tank is to complete the coagulation and flocculation steps of the
water treatment process. Coagulation refers to a water treatment process that uses
chemical(s) (referred to as coagulant)to neutralize the charge on dissolved and suspended
particles, so that the particles can more easily accumulate together. Flocculation refers to a
water treatment process that forms larger clusters (flocs)to enable gravity separation of the
particulate from the water. Flocculation typically uses chemical(s), referred to as flocculant or
polymer, to enhance the floc formations.
Water will flow by gravity from the Aeration Tank to the nearby Reaction Tank, located
outdoors. The overall Reaction Tank itself will be open top with approximately 11,000 gallons
of operating volume. Its dimensions will be roughly 17' L x 11.5'W x 12' H. It will be stair-
accessible with a platform for agitator and equipment access. The Reaction Tank will be a
rectangular tank with three chambers, with each chamber having its own variable speed
agitator. Coagulant will be added to the inlet water flow stream directly in front of the Reaction
Tank and mixed with an inline static mixer to disperse coagulant throughout the flow stream.
The coagulant will be automatically dosed to the Reaction Tank based on the feed flow rate
and inlet turbidity, with the expected dosage being roughly between 10 to 15 mg/L.
The first chamber in the flow path is the Coagulation Chamber. In this chamber, coagulant
neutralizes the charge on dissolved and suspended solids so that they are more likely to form
floc downstream. Coagulant is typically positively charged to neutralize the negative charges
on many of the suspended contaminants, and is typically ferric chloride or alum, but may also
be a chemical supplier's proprietary formulation. The Coagulation Chamber will have a top
mounted, variable speed agitator and pH and ORP probes with transmitters. The Coagulation
Chamber will be roughly 20 minutes of retention time with an operating volume around 6,700
gallons. A flow stream containing a slurry of suspended particulate and metal hydroxides will
flow by gravity to the second chamber of the Reaction Tank.
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A ALBEMARLE" HUTCH
Albemarle-Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description -2024-03-26
The second chamber of the Reaction Tank, the Ballast Chamber, is where the ballast
material will be returned to the Reaction Tank after it leaves and is recycled from the clarifier
sludge, which is discussed in more detail in the next section. Ballast material is high-density,
settleable particulate added to enhance solids settling rates. Fresh ballast material will also
be added as needed (typically once per week)to this chamber manually by emptying of bags
of ballast material into this chamber. In this case the ballast material proposed to be used is
magnetite. Magnetite is fully inert, iron ore particles that are added for enhanced solids
settling that can later be removed by use of a magnet to be recovered and recycled in the
WTP. This process is commercially available as the CO/MAG process.
The Ballast Chamber will have a top mounted, variable speed agitator. It will be roughly 7.5
minutes of retention time with an operating volume around 2,500 gallons. Water will flow by
gravity from the Ballast Chamber to the third and final chamber, the Polymer Chamber.
The flocculant or polymer will also be added at the inlet to the Polymer Chamber,where it will
mix with the ballast and coagulated particles and form large clusters for settling. The polymer
is a long-chain molecule with charged sites along the length of the polymer, which can adhere
to solid particles to facilitate agglomeration into larger, settleable solids. The flocculant will be
automatically controlled based on the feed flow rate. Polymer dosage is expected to be
around 2 mg/L.
The Polymer Chamber will have a top mounted, variable speed mixer. It will be roughly 7.5
minutes of retention time with an operating volume of around 2,500 gallons.
The Reaction Tank assembly itself will also include ancillary equipment and instrumentation,
including a control panel, inlet flow meter, and inlet turbidity analyzer.
The Reaction Tank will produce a slurry of particulate flocs and water, which will flow to the
clarifier by gravity.
2.5 Clarifier
The purpose of the clarifier is to facilitate settling of the solids and clarification of the liquid.
The clarifier will be circular, open top, and roughly 12 feet diameter by 12 feet high. It will
have an operating volume of 6,820 gallons and a retention time of 5.5 minutes. The clarifier
will not have inclined plates, but it will have baffle plates to direct flow for high-rate solids
settling. The clarifier will have an internal sludge rake with torque control and limit switches. It
will also have a skimmer for removing floating solids. The sludge level in the clarifier will be
routinely measured.
Clarified effluent water will flow over the notched effluent weir around the perimeter of the
clarifier and into the effluent launder, where it will by directed to the Clarified Water Tank for
storage and further treatment. Effluent water turbidity out of the clarifier will be measured.
Settled solids will flow out of the clarifier underflow.
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ALBEMARLE) HATCH
Albemarle-Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description -2024-03-26
The clarifier underflow is routed to the recycle pump skid. The recycle pump skid has two (2)
recycle pumps, with one in operation and one as a spare. The pumps are horizontal,
centrifugal pumps rated for 180 GPM at 45 ft TDH with variable frequency drives for flow
control. Discharge pressure gauges and magnetic flow meters will be installed on the recycle
skid as well. There are two modulating flow control valves on the recycle pump skid. One
control valve will control the recycle flow sent to the shear mixer and magnetic drum for
ballast recovery to return the ballast back to the Ballast Chamber of the Reaction Tank. The
second control valve will control the flow rate of sludge being sent to waste.
The majority of flow from the clarifier underflow is pumped to an inline, high-speed shear
mixer installed above the Reaction Tank to separate the magnetite from the floc. The slurry is
then passed over a magnetic recovery drum, which will selectively attract the magnetite for
recovery and routing to the Reaction Tank.
The magnetic drum will be 20 in. diameter and 18 in. long. It will have a variable speed drive
to rotate the drum and stationary magnets that are able to recover more than 99% of the
magnetite and return it to the system. The magnetite will leave the magnetic drum and fall by
gravity to the Ballast Chamber of the Reaction Tank. The liquid containing the remaining
sludge without the magnetite will be sent to the Sludge Storage Tank for further treatment.
2.6 Clarified Water Tank
The Clarified Water Tank will store clarified water flowing by gravity out of the clarifier. Level
will be monitored in the Clarified Water Tank to provide a steady feed to the Ultrafiltration
System (UF). The Clarified Water Tank will be a closed top, vertical, cylindrical storage tank
located outdoors. The tank will be sized to have a 20-minute retention time with
approximately a 10 ft diameter and 12 ft height.
Water will flow from the Clarified Water Tank to the Ultrafiltration equipment skids.
2.7 Ultrafiltration (UF) System
The Ultrafiltration (UF) equipment will be used to remove residual Total Suspended Solids
(TSS)from the clarification stage. The OF equipment will be provided as three (3) 50%
design capacity skids. This will allow for 100% uptime on the OF equipment as one skid unit
can be on a backwash or cleaning cycle (or undergoing maintenance)while the other two
units remain online to provide for the full demand of the facility. The OF skids will be located
indoors in the Water Treatment Building.
Each preassembled OF equipment skid will have eight(8) OF membrane modules. The
membranes will have a pore size of 0.02 (nominal) pm and be made of modified
polyethersulfone. Metal precipitates remaining in the flow stream will be removed at this OF
treatment step, as well as suspended particulate, and bacteria. Turbidity will be reduced. The
OF membranes will allow water to pass through and suspended solids to increase in
concentration on the retained side of the membrane. The retentate from the OF equipment
will be routed to the Sludge Storage Tank for further processing. The filtrate from the OF
equipment will go to the Reverse Osmosis System.
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A ALBEMARLE" HUTCH
Albemarle-Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description -2024-03-26
Each of the three OF equipment skids will also include a feed pump, backwash pump,
isolation and flow control valves, strainers, pressure relief valves, back pressure valves,
instrumentation, and a control panel. Instrumentation will include:
• Pressure switches and pressure transmitters
• Turbidity analyzer(s)
• pH/temperature transmitter(s)
• Mag flow meters
Backwash water will be supplied to each OF skid backwash pump from the Treated Water
Tank for regular OF membrane backwashes, typically for 30 to 60 seconds in duration. When
a regular short backwash is insufficient to improve OF membrane performance, a Chemically
Enhanced Backwash (CEB) can be performed. This is similar to a regular backwash, but
sulfuric acid and/or caustic are used with the backwash water for a soak time of 10-65
minutes, depending on the end user settings/preferences. Backwash water from regular and
CEB water will be recycled back to the Water Treatment Plant Feed Tank.
Each OF skid will be controlled by an integrated Programmable Logic Controller(PLC), which
will control the OF System, Backwash, and CEB System.
2.8 Reverse Osmosis (RO) System
Filtrate from the OF will feed the Reverse Osmosis (RO) system. The RO equipment is
sensitive to the formation of scale; therefore, a chemical feed skid will dose a small amount of
anti-scalant ahead of the RO equipment.
The RO equipment will be provided as three (3) 50% design capacity skids. This will allow for
100% uptime on the RO equipment as one skid unit can be on a cleaning cycle or undergoing
maintenance while the other two units remain online to provide for the full demand of the
facility. Each RO skid will be supplied with a 4x3x2-4M membrane array. The membranes will
be Hydranautics ESPA2. They will have an average flux of 12.6 gallons per square foot per
day (gfd) and a recovery of 75%. The RO skids will be located in the Water Treatment
Building.
A 5-micron cartridge filter upstream of the RO membranes will be included on each skid to
catch any particulate that may have gotten into the system. Ahead of the cartridge filter, a
high-pressure variable speed feed pump on each skid supplies the pressure necessary for
the RO membranes to overcome the osmotic pressure, allowing clear water to pass through
the membrane while retaining other constituents. The RO system will be operated to achieve
approximately 75% recovery of the inlet flow stream as water, which will flow to the Treated
Water Tank. A 25%waste or brine stream leaves the RO equipment for further treatment.
A local control panel will manage the operation of the RO system on each skid.
Instrumentation on each RO skid will include:
• Pressure switches and pressure transmitters
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A ALBEMARLE) HATCH
Albemarle-Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description -2024-03-26
• Turbidity analyzer(s)
• pH/temperature transmitter(s)
• Magnetic flow meters
Maintenance for the RO system is referred to as Clean-In-Place (CIP), because the RO
membranes remain in place during the cleaning cycle and do not need to be physically
removed to be cleaned. A CIP cycle typically only needs to be run on the RO membranes
once every 4 months for a well-run system.
The CIP equipment, instrumentation, and controls will be fully integrated with each RO skid
except for the CIP chemical tank itself, which will sit next to the RO skids in the Water
Treatment Building. The CIP system will use both sulfuric acid and caustic for chemical
cleaning of the RO membranes. Drains and waste from the CIP process will be routed to the
Water Treatment Plant Feed Tank, either directly or through a process sump, discussed in a
later section.
2.9 Brine Recovery RO System
To recover more water from the brine or reject stream, a second RO system is used. The first
RO system is referred to as the primary RO system and this second RO system is referred to
as the brine recovery RO system. The brine recovery RO system will be two (2) 100% sized
systems; while one system is in a cleaning cycle, the other system will remain online,
providing 100% uptime for the brine recovery RO system. In the case one Brine Recovery
system is in maintenance while the other one is in CIP mode, brine recovery will be
temporarily suspended, yielding a slight increase in the volume of brine for off-site disposal
and a slight decrease in the treated water to be discharged to Water Storage Basin 1.
The RO membranes will be supplied in a 2x1x1-3M array. The membranes will be Dow
BW30-400. They will have an average flux of 12.2 gfd and a recovery of 65%. The brine
recovery RO system will be located in the Water Treatment Building adjacent to the first pass
RO system and the Treated Water Tank.
A 5-micron cartridge filter will be placed ahead of the RO membranes on each skid to catch
any particulate that may have gotten into the system. Upstream of the cartridge filter, a high-
pressure variable speed feed pump on each skid supplies the pressure necessary for the RO
membranes. A waste or brine stream is routed from the RO equipment for disposal at a
treatment facility. The target recovery for the Brine Recovery System is 65%, giving a total
recovery over 90%for the combined Primary and Brine Recovery RO system.
A local control panel will manage the operation of each Brine Recovery skid. Instrumentation
on each skid will include:
• Pressure switches and pressure transmitters
• Turbidity analyzer(s)
• pH/temperature transmitter(s)
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A ALBEMARLE) HATCH
Albemarle-Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description -2024-03-26
• Mag flow meters
The CIP system for the brine recovery RO System will be similar to the Primary RO System
CIP setup, discussed in the previous section.
2.10 Treated Water Tank
Permeate from the RO systems will be routed to the Treated Water Tank, located in the
Water Treatment Building adjacent to both RO systems. The Treated Water Tank will be a
vertical, cylindrical, closed top tank. It will be roughly 10 ft diameter and 12 ft shell height with
7,050 gallons total capacity. A radar level instrument will be supplied for level indication in the
tank. At the design flow of 293 GPM, the tank will have a retention time of around 24 minutes.
Treated water will be pumped out of the Treated Water Tank via the Treated Water Pumps#1
and #2 to Water Storage Basin 1. One pump will be in operation and the second pump will be
on standby. These pumps will be rated for 293 GPM at 92 ft of head. The Treated Water
Pumps will be supplied on a skid that also includes isolation valves, a magnetic flow meter, a
pressure transmitter, a pump discharge pressure gauge, and local control panel.
Water Storage Basin 1 is outside of the Water Treatment Plant scope, but from there water
will be routed back to the process for reuse or flow by gravity to the permitted outfall at Kings
Creek.
2.11 Sludge Storage Tank
The Sludge Storage Tank receives Clarifier waste sludge from the magnetic drum separator
and retentate from all three OF skids. The Sludge Storage Tank will be sized for 48 hours of
storage time so that the Filter Press is able to be run on day shift five days a week. A 10 ft
diameter by 10 ft side shell height tank will provide around 4,700 gallons of operating capacity
(5,800 gallons total storage capacity)for sludge storage. The Sludge Storage Tank will be
located inside in the Water Treatment Building. It will be a vertical, cylindrical, closed top tank
with a variable speed mixer to prevent any solids accumulation at the bottom of the tank. The
tank will come with isolation valves, a radar level transmitter, and agitator controls.
When the operator is ready, sludge will be pumped from the Sludge Storage Tank to the
Sludge Thickener by the Sludge Thickener Feed Pumps at about 34 GPM. One pump will be
in operation with the second pump on standby. The Sludge Thickener Feed Pumps will be
supplied on a skid that also includes isolation valves, a magnetic flow meter, a pressure
transmitter, a pump discharge pressure gauge, and local control panel.
2.12 Sludge Thickener
Sludge from the Sludge Storage Tank will be thickened/concentrated in the Sludge
Thickener, a solids clarifier that consists of a rapid mix section, a polymer and flocculation
section, and a lamella style clarifier. The lamella style clarifier uses many inclined plates to
encourage solids settling and separation from the flow stream. Lamella clarifiers are also
referred to as inclined plate settlers.
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A ALBEMARLE" HUTCH
Albemarle-Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description -2024-03-26
Polymer is added to the 100-gallon rapid mix section. The flow then proceeds to the 900-
gallon flocculation section, where a slower, variable speed mixer encourages the formation of
floc. The water flows by gravity into the lamella clarifier for separation of the floc from the rest
of the flow on the inclined plates.
The Sludge Thickener will be carbon steel with polypropylene inclined plate packs with
approximately 1,056 sq. ft of actual plate area and an effective settling area of 600 sq. ft, with
66 inclined plates, each of 16 sq. ft size, spaced 1 inch apart. The thickener dimensions will
roughly be 138" long by 73"wide by 160" height, including the reaction/mix tank section. The
Sludge Thickener will be located in the Water Treatment Building near the Sludge Storage
Tank.
The supernatant flows from the clarifier by gravity to a process sump. The sludge is pumped
to the Filter Press.
2.13 Filter Press
The sludge slurry is pumped out of the Sludge Thickener bottom using an air operated
diaphragm pump, which is effective for moving sludge without shearing or causing it to remix
with the liquid in the thickener and is good for intermittent use. Two pumps will be installed,
with one in operation and the second on standby.
The Filter Press will be an automatic plate shifter with an electric driven hydraulic closure.
There will be 60 chambers with polypropylene gasketed cloths. The Press capacity will be
50 ft3 and it will operate at 100 PSI. The cake thickness will be 1.25 in. The Filter Press will
be located in the Water Treatment Building near the bay doors and the service yard for ease
of changing the roll-off boxes.
Feed flow will enter the Press from one end and fill the Press to separate the solids from the
liquids. The solids will settle on the filter cloths between each plate and eventually be dropped
into a roll-off box below the Press to go to an on-site or off-site solid waste handling facility.
The filtrate will flow by gravity to the process sump for recycling back into the system.
The Press will include a safety feature using an infrared light beam to sense if an object is in
the path of Press movement and stop the Press until the system is reset. An operator will
need to initiate and supervise the Filter Press cycle, as well as remove the cake from the
Filter Press solids at the end of the cycle.
2.14 Process Sumps
Supernatant from the Sludge Thickener and the filtrate from the Filter Press will flow by
gravity to a process sump. The flow into and out of the process sump will be intermittent but
is expected to be around 33 GPM at max flow. The process sump will be located in the floor
of the Water Treatment Building near the Filter Press.
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A ALBEMARLE) HATCH
Albemarle-Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description -2024-03-26
The process sump pumps will be one in operation and one on standby, rated for the 33 GPM
max flow rate. A level transmitter in the sump will control when the sump pump turns on and
off. Flow will be pumped out of the process sump intermittently back to the Water Treatment
Plant Feed Tank for recycle back into the system.
An outdoor process sump will be installed to collect any accumulated liquid in the WTP
containment area and discharge it to the WTP Feed Tank with a set of pumps (one in
operation and one on standby).
2.15 Chemical Feed Systems
Several chemical feed systems will be required to operate the WTP. There may be some
minor differences in the chemical feed skids, however all of them will generally have:
• Two chemical feed pumps (one in operation and one as a backup)
• A calibration column for manual checking of pump output
• An inlet strainer and an outlet pulsation dampener
• An external relief valve and a discharge backpressure valve
• A local control panel
The anticipated chemicals to be installed on skids and metered into the WTP include:
• Sulfuric Acid
• Caustic
• Sodium Hypochlorite
• Coagulant
• Flocculant
• Anti-Scalant
2.16 Monitoring
Effluent sampling will be dictated by the project National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permit. A full effluent characterization is expected to be required upon
facility startup and subsequently as required for the NPDES permit renewals.
For influent monitoring, it is anticipated that the facility will pull an influent sample monthly
from the WTP Feed Tank. The sample will be analyzed for all permitted parameters. It is
recommended to maintain a database of the testing results. If the results reflect a parameter
that is more than twice the expected average value, then additional samples of the
wastewater influent streams should be taken and tested to determine the source of the
constituent in question and investigate if the source can be mediated to reduce the
constituent coming into the WTP.
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A ALBEMARLE.' HUTCH
Albemarle-Kings Mountain Mine Select EPCM
Water Treatment Plant Process Description -2024-03-26
The effectiveness of the WTP and upstream processes will be reassessed if any influent
parameter exhibits twice the expected average value or if any constituents in the effluent
stream are measured to be greater than 50% of the discharge permit limit.
The NPDES permit monitoring location will be at the outlet of the WTP. Samples will be
collected from the Treated Water Tank, and flow will be measured on the discharge from the
Treated Water Tank to Water Storage Basin 1.
A second monitoring location will be for the RO brine stream that flows to the treatment
facility for disposal. The conditions of the brine stream will be monitored as dictated by the
regulatory agency and communicated in a timely manner. The monitoring location is expected
to be where the retentate from the brine recovery units is collected.
2.17 Outfall Location
The WTP outfall location will be a pipe that discharges the water into Water Storage Basin 1.
Water Storage Basin 1 will receive the WTP outlet flow and also other site flow streams like
run-on and stormwater. The WTP discharge will likely be considered an internal outfall in the
NPDES permit.
If discharged to a treatment system, the brine outfall will be located at the connection to the
public sanitary sewer system or other off-site treatment facility.
H371132-3000-226-208-0001, Rev. F
Page 11
©Hatch 2024 All rights reserved,including all rights relating to the use of this document or its contents.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
SODIUM /�
HYPOCHLORITE A
SULFURIC ACID
CAUSTIC
PAG SEEPAGE WATER B
PROCESS PLANT REUSE WATER
TO PROCESS PLANT
EXCESS WATER
BACK—UP PROCESS
WATER SUPPLY
MICA PROCESS C
WATER TANK
VENDOR PACKAGE
ANTI—SCALANT
PROCESS AREA AERATION
STORMWATER BLOWER SKID P10
1 \ 1
WTP FEED TANK AERATION TANKF I Fr-,
1 1
COAGULANT \
— — — — — — — — — — — — � — — VENDOR PACKAGE
1 \ 1
VENDOR PACKAGE
1 1 REVERSE
WTP OUTDOOR SUMP 1 STATIC MIXER 1 ; \ ; — — OSMOSIS
FLOCCULANT SYSTEM #1 —3
POLYMER F
1 1
1 1 1 \ 1 WATER STORAGE BASIN 1
1 1
VENDOR PACKAGE
1
1 1
— — WATER
CLARIFIED WATER TANK TREATMENT
ULTRAFILTER 1 1 TREATED WATER TANK
1 -7//
CLARIFIER
SYSTEM #1 —3
1 1
1 1
OUTFALL TO
REACTION TANK 1 \ 1 KINGS CREEK
1 \ 1
1 1 H
1 1 BRINE
MAGNETIC DRUM REVERSE L - -
SHEAR MIX OSMOSIS
SYSTEM #1 —2
1 1
1 1
RO BRINE TO
COAGULANT FLOCCULANT OFF—SITE DISPOSAL J
POLYMER
1
1 1
VENDOR PACKAGE
LREACTION TANK & BALLASTED CLARIFIER SYSTEM 1 1
1 1
1
SLUDGE STORAGE TANK I
1 1
WTP FILTER PRESS L
1 RAPID MIX FLOCCULATION 1
SECTION SECTION
1 1
1 1
LAMELLA CLARIFIER FILTER M
CAKE
CLARIFIER SYSTEM DROP
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
K EY:
N
PAG — POTENTIAL ACID GENERATING ROLL—OFF BOX WASTE
NOTES:
1. VENDORS TO ADVISE ON FINAL CONFIGURATION OF WATER
TREATMENT PLANT AND RECOMMENDED CHEMICALS. P
2. PUMPS, MATERIAL HANDLING, CHEMICAL DOSING, BACKWASH AND
CLEANING ARE NOT SHOWN IN THE DRAWING. Fl LET C H WTP INDOOR SUMP
`� ��������ATM KINGS MOUNTAIN
DRAFTSPERSON J. EYLER NR 07 25 23 J)1C 0 R P 0 R A T 1 0 N 348 HOLIDAY INN DRIVE
ISSUED FOR PERMITTING DESIGNER L. LINGUIST NR 07 25/23 KINGS MOUNTAIN, NC28286 Q
CHECKER A. LYN N L-q—,Alzxa� -2024-05-15 This drawing is the confidential property of Albemarle Corporation and is issued with the express understanding and agreement that it
Appendix C-4 Water Treatment Plant Block Flow Diagram.
DESIGN COORD. K. PIOTROWSKI Plot ws4 , K 2024-05-15 is not to be copied or reproduced,or used in anyway detrimental to the interest of Albemarle Corporation and is to be returned on request.
RESP. ENG. L. LINGUIST L_ury2024-05-15 APPENDIX C-4 KM - MINING AND CONCENTRATOR FACILITY
PRELIMINARY LEAD DISC' ENG' L. LINGUIST L-arry2024-05-15 E ISSUED FOR INTERNAL/CLIENTREVIEW PL AL LL 05/09/24 WATER TREATMENT PLANT
ENG. MANAGER ISSUED FOR SELECT
PROD. MANAGER K. YOUNG 2024-05-15 D JE LA LL 12/12/23 MINE SELECT PHASE
C FOR CLIENT REVIEW JE LA LL 09/13/23 BLOCK FLOW DIAGRAM
NOT F 0 R C 0 N ST R U CT I 0 ROLE NAME SIGNATURE DATE B FOR CLIENT REVIEW JE LA LL 08/08/23 JOB NO. DRAFTER: DRAWING NO. SHT. 1 of 1 REVISION R
FOR INTERNAL REVIEW KM22040 J. EYLER
A JE KP LL 07128/23 SCALE: DATE KM60-PR-BF-00200 E
HATCH DRAWING NUMBER: H37113200002102520002
REV# DESCRIPTION CADD CHK'D APPR'D DATE NTS 07/25/23