Demystifying water management: Finding a balance

There is tension at the heart of any discussion about mine water management; rising demand for commodities is driving ever-larger mining projects. These projects carry greater impacts and risks related to water consumption and tailings management systems.

We are also seeing “increased demands from stakeholders, such as local communities and regulators, to reduce those impacts and risks, which must be carefully weighed when developing and extracting a mineral resource,” explained Javier E. Torrealva, project technical lead for Mine Water Management. Set alongside this, “shareholders expect consistent revenue and adherence to schedules” for new mining projects, whether greenfield or brownfield.

This complex web of needs and expectations means that “early and comprehensive mine water management planning is a key part of resilient, cost-effective, and sustainable mine plans that address water challenges during mine construction, operation, and closure,” Torrealva continued.

Such a plan will include strategies to supply water for processing, meet water quality discharge objectives and other watershed-specific requirements (often determined by stakeholders), and minimize the amount of contact water.