14
safety measures planned 55 .A site’s water treatment strategy
should be based on forecasts of water quality and quantity
and, where possible, use passive water treatment methods
in the post-mining phase.
Common software tools used in mining water bal-
ance calculations are GoldSim, MATLAB, Simulink,
Geochemists Workbench and PHREQC 54 .Some of these
programs are presented and described by55. Since the
underlying data determines the quality of a model or plan,
it is crucial to create an appropriate monitoring plan that
includes all the different types of water at the mine site,
namely natural (surface and groundwater), process and
wastewater.
Consideration of IWM in Mine Planning According to
the Blue Mining Concept
The planning of a mine requires comprehensive consider-
ation of numerous factors, particularly in the area of water
management. The aim is to map the operational produc-
tion process in detail in order to create a coordinated basis
for the various sub-areas and to enable effective opera-
tional control. In the context of water management, this
means that the water infrastructure must be systematically
planned from the outset. Traditionally, the planning of a
mine’s water infrastructure has focused primarily on the
technical and operational aspects, such as ensuring suffi-
cient water resources for operations, dewatering cavities,
managing wastewater and minimizing costs. Planning
often followed linear structures and rarely considered socio-
economic aspects.
Today, however, mine operators need to consider a vari-
ety of factors, including the need for a systematic approach
to managing water risks and broadening their view of water
security to include external risks 51,56 .Early planning of
water uses strategies in accordance with the Blue Mining
concept, which go beyond mine operations, is necessary in
order to avoid costly subsequent adaptation measures to the
mining infrastructure (Figure 9).
Initial contacts with local communities, authorities
and relevant stakeholders are already established during the
exploration phase in order to identify potential conflicts of
use and synergies. Synergies could include, for example,
support for the local water or energy supply. The potential
of a further water use strategy depends on the local (hydro)
geological conditions, including water availability, mineral
composition, rock strength and condition of the water and
energy supply network as well as local socio-political aspects.
Extensive hydrogeological studies are required to obtain
a comprehensive understanding of the water conditions
at the proposed mine site and to predict both qualitative
Figure 8. Planning water infrastructure acording to the Blue Mining approach
safety measures planned 55 .A site’s water treatment strategy
should be based on forecasts of water quality and quantity
and, where possible, use passive water treatment methods
in the post-mining phase.
Common software tools used in mining water bal-
ance calculations are GoldSim, MATLAB, Simulink,
Geochemists Workbench and PHREQC 54 .Some of these
programs are presented and described by55. Since the
underlying data determines the quality of a model or plan,
it is crucial to create an appropriate monitoring plan that
includes all the different types of water at the mine site,
namely natural (surface and groundwater), process and
wastewater.
Consideration of IWM in Mine Planning According to
the Blue Mining Concept
The planning of a mine requires comprehensive consider-
ation of numerous factors, particularly in the area of water
management. The aim is to map the operational produc-
tion process in detail in order to create a coordinated basis
for the various sub-areas and to enable effective opera-
tional control. In the context of water management, this
means that the water infrastructure must be systematically
planned from the outset. Traditionally, the planning of a
mine’s water infrastructure has focused primarily on the
technical and operational aspects, such as ensuring suffi-
cient water resources for operations, dewatering cavities,
managing wastewater and minimizing costs. Planning
often followed linear structures and rarely considered socio-
economic aspects.
Today, however, mine operators need to consider a vari-
ety of factors, including the need for a systematic approach
to managing water risks and broadening their view of water
security to include external risks 51,56 .Early planning of
water uses strategies in accordance with the Blue Mining
concept, which go beyond mine operations, is necessary in
order to avoid costly subsequent adaptation measures to the
mining infrastructure (Figure 9).
Initial contacts with local communities, authorities
and relevant stakeholders are already established during the
exploration phase in order to identify potential conflicts of
use and synergies. Synergies could include, for example,
support for the local water or energy supply. The potential
of a further water use strategy depends on the local (hydro)
geological conditions, including water availability, mineral
composition, rock strength and condition of the water and
energy supply network as well as local socio-political aspects.
Extensive hydrogeological studies are required to obtain
a comprehensive understanding of the water conditions
at the proposed mine site and to predict both qualitative
Figure 8. Planning water infrastructure acording to the Blue Mining approach