Diversified mining group Xstrata South Africa (XCSA) has developed an integrated groundwater resource management plan (IGRMP) that will ensure sustainability and environmental compliance in ground water management at its South African mining operations.
XCSA communications manager Songezo Zibi says that South Africa’s bulk water infrastructure has had to play catch-up with the accelerated global demand for mined resources over the last five years. Many new mining developments in South Africa obtain their raw water requirements from existing water resources, which support communities and other industries.
Zibi comments that when the world economy improves, the pressure will increase on South Africa’s scarce water resources. Sustainable water management, therefore, becomesmineral processing static screen box frames a key strategic imperative for the government, as well as large industrial and domestic users.
Zibi adds that climate change and the introduction of stringent environmental legislation have prompted a need for new, innovative water resource development and management practices.
The IGRMP includes real-time monitoring, resource and system modelling, resource protection, and training and development. It will be rolled out over four stages. Zibi says that the proprojects cost of alluvial gold small miningject is currently in its second phase, which includes the zero discharge plan at Xstrata’s Eland platinum mine.
Xstrata Alloys expects to completely eliminate its discharge of polluted water from this mine. Two new dams were established last year to preclude the flow of contaminated water from the mining operation into surrounding areas and water sources.
The Eland platinum mine, located near Brits on the western limb of the Bushveld Complex, generates almost one-millmethods for separation of manganese from oreion cubic metres of water every year, which is rich in suspended solids and contaminated with hydrocarbons. Prior to the construction of the dams, during inclement weather conditions, polluted water flowed into areas located downstream. The dams, therefore, allow for better control over water flow and improve water quality. The site on which the dams are situated is predicted to become a biodiversity reserve within five to ten years.
Xstrata operations worldwide discharged a totbauxite ore mining machineryal of 273 700-million litres of wastewater in 2008.
The Eland mine operation is also expected to become largely self-sufficient in its water consumption within the foreseeable future. Zibi says that the mine’s water management system will reduce the operation’s reliance on the Hartbeespoort dam as a water source.
The process will involve the recapturing, purifying and recycling of ground water that would otherwise be lost to evaporation or treated as waste. The recycled water is used for drinking and productdurable high pressure suspension grinding million at the mine. This initiative will reduce the overall water consumption of the mine and, therefore, reduce the amount of water taken from other water sources used by surrounding communities and other industries.
Zibi comments that initiatives are also currently under way to reduce the water consumption at Xstrata’s coal-mining operations, where water is used for the washing of coal.
XCSA will also be investigating water treatment options as part of its water management strategy. XCSA inherited underground mines in the Mpumalanga area that have been in operation for about 30 years and have access to a large amount of underground water. An extensive geographical information system (GIS) has been implemented to track water qualities for real-time monitors at critical downstream points. XCSA has extensively monitored ground water balances for its operations.
Treated water could be used for the purpose of future agricultural developments on unused mining land. The development of this land will provide an ideal opportunity for a community enterprise, says Zibi.
XCSA is committed to reducing environmental risk caused by mining operations. Zibi explains that poorly managed post-mining underground water can be an environmental hazard, as the natural water-cleaning mechanisms that once existed are altered by heavy industrial activity. If water can be treated and re-used, the impact on the environment will be reduced, and there will be less pressure on existing bulk water management infrastructure.