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Reducing Our Footprint - Water
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Water is essential for mining and minerals processing, being used for purposes such as minerals processing, machinery cooling, dust control, irrigation and staff amenities. The mining industry uses just over 1.5% of the total water consumed in NSW. This compares to agriculture (44%), the water supply industry – including distribution losses (29%) and households (12%) (ABS Water Account, 2008-09).
Not only is mining a comparatively small user of water but it also generates exceptional economic returns from the water used. The 2004-05 average value added per megalitre (ML) of water used was around $86,000/ML for coal, $50,000/ML for metal minerals and $25,000/ML for other minerals. This compares to $40,000/ML for the industrial sector and $5,000/ML for the agricultural sector (CSIRO Process Magazine, January 2007).
Despite the low overall use of water by the industry, mines can be significant water users at the local scale. Efficient water management is critical to ensure mining operations can continue and to reduce demand on available water, this is particularly important in areas where water resources are scarce. To manage water use, mines implement sophisticated water management plans which can include water accounting techniques that gain an accurate picture of the quantity and quality of available water and the quantity and quality of water required throughout the mining and processing operations. Mines can often share water with other users, or use lower quality water such as treated effluent, saline groundwater or water recycled on site, which reduces the demand for higher quality water. The important aspects of water use are monitored to ensure water is used efficiently.
Mining can affect the quantity or quality of surface and groundwater resources. This can occur, for example, when mining activities intersect aquifers or mine subsidence affects aquifers or streams. These potential impacts are assessed during planning approval and measures are taken to reduce impacts to acceptable levels, while ongoing monitoring assesses whether the predicted impacts are accurate. Mine runoff and discharges are also regulated to ensure they are appropriately treated before being released from site. If mines extract water from rivers and aquifers, they require licences just like any other industry.
Internal Links
NSWMC Policy and Advocacy – Environment
Fact Sheet – Water Use in the NSW Minerals Industry
Case Study – Springvale Coal – Delta Electricity Water Transfer Scheme
Case Study – Northparkes Mine: Rio Tinto Floating Module
External Link
NSW Office of Water
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