Managing Water Use In Mining: An Ultimate Guide
Sustainability is key in most walks of life these days; whether it is in waste disposal, power or energy. There is little where it is more important than it is in mining, especially when it comes to the way water is used while working. Here, we'll explain how water is used in mining, what impact it has on the environment and the local communities, and what Atlantic Pumps can do to help.
How Is Water Used In Mining?
There is a plethora of ways that water is used in mining, an important one being to extract, wash, sort and dewater the minerals being mined. Other uses of water include dust suppression, slurry transport and in the maintaining of employee welfare. Due to the high demands for water in many parts of the world, water management in mining is of the utmost importance, to ensure that each job is carried out with the utmost efficiency, while reducing the environmental and social impact as much as possible.
Environmental Effects
With many water experts warning of a worrying global water shortage, the need for a sustainable water function has never been more vital. In 2013, 500 water scientists cautioned that the majority of people on earth are living with the threat of a lessening supply of fresh water within the space of two generations due to climate change, pollution and over-use. Mining's effect on water is dramatic to say the least, with water generally being sought for operations from groundwater, streams, rivers and lakes, whereby extraction can become a major issue. In a lot of cases, particularly when it comes to underground mining, these are hard to come by and water needs to be procured away from site, which will further lower water levels.
Local Communities
Because of the threat of water deficiency, local communities and authorities are justifiably opposed to mines using their resources. For this reason, steps must be taken to reduce the amount used, with the recycling of water being the most obvious remedy. Wastewater treatment processes are reusing as much as they possibly can as a primary course. There are many ways in which such a reduction can be achieved; the pumps used in mining is an influential tool for such. Also, if any water not required can be treated so it can be safely returned to local watercourses, this will greatly help the surrounding communities.
How Atlantic Pumps Can Help
Atlantic Pumps specialise in the pumping of dirty water, so it can be recycled and reduce how much water is taken from the vicinity of the mine. Industries such as mining are key in the running of the modern world, and they use innovation to help them to continue in a way that impacts the world less. Selecting the most appropriate pumping solution has the potential to radically reduce costs, improve maintenance planning, save time, and transform energy usage. We design pumps specifically for the demands of the mining industry and know how important it is to minimise downtime and maximise energy efficiency.
Give us a call today to find out more.
Image source: Pixabay
