To address the rising problem of acid mine water in Gauteng, a leading South African water technology company has signed a partnership agreement with Mintek. Water&Sanitation Africa finds out more about the long-term approach to sustainable acid mine water treatment.

Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies South Africa (VWS South Africa) has signed a partnership agreement with Mintek, South Africa’s national mineral research organisation, at the government co-sponsored innovator of SAVMIN™ water treatment technology’s Randburg offices on 3 February 2012.

This comes after the initial merger of the Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies-developed Multiflo® and Actiflo® clarifiers, with SAVMIN™ chemical precipitation technology into an efficient, cost-competitive and productive acid mine water treatment system.

Using lamella settling and ballasted floc formation, the VWS clarifiers effectively remove precipitated solids from mine water with relatively low footprints. The systems require minimal maintenance, and are a cost-competitive solution compared to traditional clarifiers.

SAVMIN™ technology benefits by these technologies. In addition to lime dosing and chemical precipitation, the SAVMIN™ uses ettringite precipitation and carbonation, which help expel heavy metals and gypsum at larger volumes and lower operating costs. Together, these technologies form a comprehensive treatment system that greatly lowers the environmental risk that acid mine water poses.

According to Dr Gunter Rencken, managing director, VWS South Africa, “This system marks a long-term approach to sustainable acid mine water treatment in South Africa. The synergy lies in Mintek’s mine water treatment technology, and our ability to make the technology feasible for large-scale implementation.”

Because SAVMIN™ technology does not rely on membrane separation technologies, the overall cost per litre has moved into a competitive margin. Other advances help the partnered technologies produce lower environmental footprints, and overall, lower water treatment plant construction and maintenance costs. Bi-product recovery and re-use are also practicable with this technology.

Abiel Mngomezulu, president and CEO of Mintek, says: “We are fortunate enough to have had financial backing from within government, who recognise the importance and urgency of the matter. We hope this partnership with VWS South Africa is long-lasting and beneficial to the mining industry and South Africa.”

Mintek and VWS South Africa began initial discussions to develop affordable mine water treatment technologies in 2009, and, with further refinement, hope to have a holistic treatment process on the market by the end of 2013 after the completion of a full-scale pilot plant.