WRC
Minister of Water and Sanitation , Nomvula Mokonyane , officially launched the Eastern Basin ’ s AMD plant — the third high-density sludge treatment plant in the province to deal with the legacy issue of acidic mine water .
water conservation to ensure sustainable use .” He says in-depth studies of water re-use passive treatments , sustainable well field development , and mitigation of pollution sources are common measures the industry have adopted over the past few years .
“ In recent years , the sustainable use of water by mines has evolved . New processing methods and water management tools have decreased mines ’ usage of the amount of fresh water , such as rainwater , groundwater , rivers and dams , and the mitigation of any potential impacts have improved ,” he says . A good case study is a gold mine in Africa , where Digby Wells was involved in achieving improved water sustainability with a water balance that incorporated site-wide climatic conditions , process plant water circuits , and other sinks within the mine .
During a sustainability breakfast hosted by Digby Wells at Mining Indaba , Exxaro ’ s head of sustainability , Mongezi Veti , said Exxaro is deep diving into the issue of water usage , along with many other players in the industry who sees water as a top priority for continuing doing business in South Africa .
Prof . Jennifer Broadhurst at the University of Cape Town ’ s Minerals to Metals centre added to the conversation that initiatives — including minimising water usage , recycling , reusing and use of secondary nonpotable water sources — are insufficient measures for supplying and avoiding community impact and conflict . “ Increasingly , mines have to look at partnerships , either with each other , or with government to find solutions ,” said Prof . Broadhurst .
Several examples in the sector point towards a focus on water partnership . Acid mine drainage ( AMD ) has been a priority for the
30 Water Sewage & Effluent March / April 2017