Water, Sewage & Effluent Mar Vol 30 No 2 | Page 13

industry
debate

The dry spell caused by this year’s El Niño has scarred South Africa,
and many dams are dry. The mining industry has not escaped its
devastation and careful planning is needed to ensure a sustainable
future, writes Leon Louw.

T

tech news

infrastructure

he global downturn and low commodity prices have
restricted local industry, a devastating drought has brought
agriculture to its knees, and its effect on mining should not be
underestimated.
Globally, mines use only a small portion of water available.
According to articles by Brown (2003) and Bangerter (2010)
mine water consumption usually accounts for only about 2%
to 4,5% of total water consumption, even in semi-arid to arid
countries like Australia, Chile and South Africa.
The local industry uses about 3% of SA’s entire consumption.
Although this is much lower than agricultural (67%), domestic
(15%), services (7%) and manufacturing (5%), enough water is
critical to ensure a sustainable future for mining.
According to a Water Research Commission 2015 report, SA’s
limited water is affected by weather extremes imposed by highly
variable climate. Drought is a recurrent and natural hazard, and
it is expected to worsen. The commission recommends that SA,
including the mining industry, prepares for this.

Key risk

Water Sewage & Effluent March/April 2016

networking

Peter Shepherd, principal hydrologist at SRK Consulting, says
“water has definitely become a key risk for mining.”
According to EY’s Business risks facing mining and metals
2015 – 2016, access to and sustainable use of water is a top 10
“under the radar” risk for mines. The report states that 70% of
five largest mining companies have operations in regions facing
high water stress. It recommends that mines plan their water
management throughout their lifecycles, decrease their water
footprints, and include communities, government and NGOs in
their plans.
CSIR water research group leader Dr Harrison Pienaar says
the financial risk associated with water scarcity in the mining
sector is a major factor in valuating mining assets.
The drought is regarded as the worst in more than 20 years,
prompting many regional authorities to restrict water use. In
contrast, in the last 10 years, water has been plentiful and the
major concern was to avoid pollution. “As we enter a drier
period, mines have to ensure they have enough water. If there
is not enough summer rain this season, the mines will have
to make it through to next October. Heat waves cause more
evaporation, which means a greater loss of water from the mine
and therefore places additional pressure on the supply of raw
water,” Shepherd says.
Shepherd says where shortages are severe, mines may have
to cut back on the processing rates of their concentrators. “This
could lead to a reduction of tonnages processed or even closure
of some concentrators for short periods.”

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