WATER MANAGEMENT & TREATMENT
Managing water data effectively
EnviroSys is an environmental compliance management and monitoring software solution from acQuire used by mining , government , water and energy companies worldwide . In mining , for example , it allows operations to efficiently capture , validate , monitor , analyse and report any type of water-related data . IM got some more insight into the solution from Stuart van de Water , acQuire ’ s Environmental Leader .
Q Why is it important for miners to have a single source of truth for their water management and monitoring data ? A Managing water and other environmental monitoring data is a multidisciplinary endeavour . Miners are expected to capture a broad variety of data , in different formats across labs , devices , or other sensors , and at differing frequencies . If data is not stored and managed in a single place , and in a consistent manner , it becomes challenging to respond to regulatory and reporting requirements in a timely , accurate and verifiable way . This puts your operations at risk of non-compliance simply through poor data management and governance .
Q Has consolidation of this data been partly driven by more stringent environmental compliance hurdles relating to water use and management ? A Yes absolutely , it ’ s a big factor . It ’ s not enough to simply claim good environmental compliance , you need to be able to prove it , to “ show your workings .” Not having this data consolidated , or a lack of best-practice data management processes does not instil confidence in stakeholders who are shining a light on the compliance of your water use and management practices . The introduction of more stringent ESG compliance hurdles , such as emissions management , has shifted the needle . Having auditable and timely environmental data has moved from being a luxury to a necessity .
Q How does EnviroSys actually capture data and how does it help mines validate their water compliance ? A EnviroSys , acQuire ' s environmental data management solution , supports its customers by ensuring they can load environmental data from anywhere , in any type , at any frequency they require . This is with as much automation as possible , to remove the manual handling element . acQuire ensures its EnviroSys customers have tools to correct ingestion issues in the system itself , rather than outside of it where audit trails and data chain of custody are impossible . Users can also track and verify their datasets , removing any nasty surprises of missing data come reporting time . Our philosophy is “ no data left behind ”. EnviroSys gives mines the ability to analyse , validate , verify and report across their environmental datasets and to answer “ are we compliant right now ?” instantly and with confidence .
Q Can you comment on the Nova Network program you have set up and the potential that has for water management in mining ? Which consulting firms are you working with ? A The Nova Network Program is a collaboration between acQuire and consulting companies to provide high-quality data management services to natural resources companies around the world . The program allows us to focus on our EnviroSys solution and its technical support , whilst our partners can service the data management , training and expansion needs of our customers , once EnviroSys is in place . Often , our partners come from a consulting or operations background , so when it comes to the customers they service , they can offer best-practice and a wealth of knowledge , especially in the water management space .
Q What would you say makes EnviroSys stand out from other software offerings in the market related to consolidating water management data ? A We focus on doing the core environmental and water data management really well . Our focus is on delivering a system that will be used by humans – how they work , the tasks they need to perform and the reporting requirements they need to respond to , such as emissions reporting and other ESG considerations . EnviroSys offers a simple , unified and consistent experience for our users . We also put great emphasis on what we call our “ support ecosystem ” – during and post-implementation , our users are supported by our online help , knowledge base , self-paced online learning and our support service desk .
Q Is the water data world becoming more complex with mines using more sensors and surveying methods - and is this underlying the need for an all-encompassing software solution even more ? A The fundamentals of data management are the same , it ’ s just shifting where data is coming from . The question now is how to handle different protocols , sensors , formats and frequency of data . Increasing the number of sensors means companies need to understand how this will change the frequency of data coming in , and their capacity to manage it . If you do the sums on sensor data being reported at 1-minute , 10-minute or hourly intervals – this can mean an exponential jump in the size of your datasets , where you still need to be able to assess compliance in real-time . Your solution needs to be scalable and based on best-practice technical architectures and technology . But , of course , the solution can ' t only be about big data and high-capacity processing . Companies also need to know how to handle the much less frequent sampling data – you need to place a high importance on both at the same time , which EnviroSys excels in .
offer an efficient and cost-effective approach for addressing AMD , particularly towards the end of the mine ’ s operational life . When a mine generates AMD , it faces the need for ongoing treatment , that may not be cost effective for the mine . However , in cases where AMD flows are relatively low , passive treatment systems can
also be utilised for water management .”
She adds that iron terraces , wetlands , and manganese removal beds are also utilised for metal removal . “ In this particular study , they were incorporated to enhance the efficiency of the BCR , thereby enhancing the overall performance of the passive treatment system .
Interestingly , the BCR demonstrated greater efficiency compared to other passive technologies . However , due to the specific oxidising conditions required for manganese removal , an MRB was essential in this passive system .”
The IT , the BCR , and the wetland effectively reduced iron concentrations to levels below the
MARCH 2024 | International Mining