The mining industry is confronted with many challenges in their effort to ensure that their operations do not pose a disaster to environmental sustainability.
Preventing water wastage and maximising its usability and benefit for accessing valuable resources and saving the environment is a unique challenge faced by mining companies.
Many mining companies spend a lot of money and resources to obtain, preserve, save and maintain constant water supply for successful extraction of ore and milling. However, these investments in most cases do not yield the desired benefits. Instead they account for continuous large spending that could have been saved for other pressing needs.
There are several smart ways mining companies can reduce the huge spending on the provision, preservation and sustainability of efficient water supply for profitable operations.
As a well resourced producer and supplier of hydropower mining equipment, and also having the expertise in giving the best advisory services to mining companies for optimal operations, HPE believes that mining companies can save water and maximise its use and benefits by adopting and implementing the following strategies.
Installation of Water Treatment Unit
Water treatment units installed by mining companies recovers and treats wastewater for reuse in mining operations, domestic and drinking purposes. The treatment plants also reduce the risk associated with salt management.
Furthermore, the installation and use of water treatment plants not only preserve and prevent water wastage, but also ensure non-chemical treatment of water and help to reduce the overhead cost of mining operation.
Analyse Overhead Cost of Water Provision
Mining companies needs to properly analyse the financial cost and risk associated with water provision for daily operations. This will help them to gain a better understanding of how much they are spending and how they can strategize to improve the status quo.
It is important to understand how a mining company’s operation affects the surrounding environment and whether other methods can be adopted to improve water usage, as well as prevent water wastage as much as possible. Mining companies should also analyse and make cost spending forecast through proper research to know how they can minimise future potential cost increase in water needs and environmental impact.
Reducing Water Needs
One smart method that mining companies can adopt to reduce water wastage and improve water saving is to develop modalities that would reduce the need for excessive water during operation. An example is by reviewing storage procedures that could use less water and maintain the water that is already entrenched in the process.
Substitute Water Usage Procedures
It is a common practice for mining companies to use water in spraying dusty roads to prevent their employees and machinery from the hazardous effects of dust. This results in significant amount of water loss at very high cost.
The practice of using water to prevent dust from rising can be substituted with using compacting aids and other advanced technological modalities such as the use of products that use soil agglomerates. Soil agglomerates are non-binding and non-adhesive perpetual agents that continuously keep the soil wet for a very long time. This prevents dust aggravation and the need for water to be sprayed.
Educate Employees
It is vital to educate employees on the importance of water conservation and the impact of water misuse. It is also key to educate them on water protection practices that they should use to save, preserve and prevent water from being wasted.
Educating employees equips them with the needed knowledge to be able to quickly identify and report problems that may stall the effectiveness and efficiency in the water provision.
Call on HPE for all your mining solutions.
Location: 19 Precision Street, Kya Sand, Randburg, South Africa, 2194
Telephone: +27 11 462 1903
Email: [email protected]