CALUMET – Many of the effects of the post-copper mining era were negative, such as a decline in the local economy and some environmental problems, but one positive effect could come from the water that has collected in unused mine shafts for decades, according to group of students from Michigan Technological University.

During a presentation Thursday in the Commons area at the Public Schools of Calumet, Laurium & Keweenaw, members of a class taught by Richelle Winkler, Tech assistant professor of social sciences, gave an overview of a research project they conducted starting in September on the social feasibility and implications of using mine water to both heat and cool buildings.

Winkler said eight students worked on the project, five undergrads and three graduate students, as well as Calumet mayor Dave Geisler, representing Main Street Calumet.

During her introduction of the presentation, Winkler said the research wouldn’t answer all questions, but the main purpose was to get a discussion about the feasibility of using mine water for geothermal uses going in the community.

“Maybe this will start a conversation that you all might want to continue,” she said.

Winkler said the research project was suggested by members of Main Street Calumet.

Giving the presentation were students Gabriela Shirkey and Carrie Karvakko.

Interviews were conducted with 16 residents, Karvakko said, and tours were conducted of many buildings which might benefit from geothermal technology, including the Calumet Theatre, the Calumet Colosseum, the Keweenaw National Historical Park, and the schools.

“This was a very long process,” she said.

Karvakko said getting heat from the mine water involves pumping it from the mine and running it through a heat exchanger to extract the heat. After going through the heat exchanger, the water is sent back into a shaft, either the one it came from or another nearby shaft.

“This is not a new technology,” she said.

One local entity currently using geothermal energy with mine water is the Tech Keweenaw Research Center near the Houghton County Memorial Airport, Karvakko said.

The tour of Calumet was important for preparing the report, Karvakko said. The heating needs for various buildings were examined, also.

“We were able to get a feel for Calumet,” she said. “There are a lot of buildings in close proximity to mine shafts.”

Karvakko said many of the mine shafts in the Calumet area are close to buildings. Of the buildings they surveyed, the closest are the KNHP Keweenaw History Center at 30 feet from a shaft, and the C-L-K schools at 80 feet from a shaft.

Karvakko said heat exchange systems can be small enough to use in a home and large enough for large industrial, business or apartment buildings.

The presentation included how geothermal technology is being used in various communities in other countries, including in Nova Scotia, Canada and a city in the Netherlands, which is using it on a district-wide scale, rather than just individual buildings.

Karvakko said there are 37 mine shafts in the Calumet area containing billions of gallons of water. The water in the shafts in the Calumet area is about 55 degrees.

“It only has to be 45 degrees to use for mine water geothermal,” she said.

Shirkey said there could be both challenges and opportunities with the development of a geothermal system. The challenges include: cost; needed support; environmental concerns from the mine water; needed technical management knowledge; and political coordination.

The opportunities include: creation of jobs to develop the systems; cost savings in using the system; increasing tourism; celebrating cultural legacy; increasing community participation; and community growth.

Shirkey said the use of geothermal heat can save money over the cost of natural gas, which has been rising since the 1990s.

Shirkey said there is a significant cost to installing a geothermal system, but eventually there is a savings over the cost of natural gas.

“If it’s installed correctly … the pay back can be quick,” she said.

Winkler said how far down the water surface is varies by shaft. In the Calumet area, water is 55 degrees from the surface down to about 3,000 feet. Below 3,000 feet, the temperature is 63 degrees.

After the presentation, questions were taken from audience members.

In response to a question about who owns water rights in the shafts, Winkler said that could be an issue.

“There hasn’t been a lot of legal precedent,” she said. “That’s one of the challenges on the legal side.”

However, Winkler said the water in a shaft fell as rain on the community where it’s located, and since once the heat is removed from the water pumped from the shaft, it’s then returned to the shaft, there may be no legal problem with using the water.

Another audience member asked if a village-wide geothermal system could be developed in Calumet, Winkler said it may be possible.

“There’s lots of ways you could set it up in Calumet,” she said.