The first mine water atlas launched last week by the Department of Water and Sanitation’s Minister Nomvula Mokonyane and the Water Research Commission (WRC).

The launch took place in Durban and was part of World Water Day which also coincided with the launch of the UN World Water Development Report 2017, ‘Wastewater: The Untapped Resource’.

The South African Mine Water Atlas, provides a comprehensive reference on the vulnerability of water resources to mining activity in South Africa.

The department said the atlas will highlight the critical interplay between mining and water resources and will be the most extensive set of documents of its kind.

“We’re very excited about this project. It’s a world first,” WRC research manager Dr Jo Burgess said. “No country in the world has done this before.”

The project, which was led by consulting firm Golder Associates, aimed to deliver the most comprehensive document of its kind in South Africa.

The atlas is said to introduce mine water and its geological, hydrological and legal context, while examining the geographical foundations of water quantity, quality and distribution, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing South Africa as it strives to improve the quantity, quality, protection and use of its water resources.

“Decision-makers will be able to look to the Atlas for background information and tools to assist in fulfilling commitments made in other recent events and declarations,” Burgess said. “The atlas uses various measures to illustrate South Africa’s hydrological characteristics by charting and mapping water resources on a provincial scale.”

Furthermore, each mining-affected province and the challenges and opportunities it faces are said to be addressed in the atlas.

Multi-layered maps

The atlas has a multi-layered set of maps which span all mineral provinces in South Africa and highlights areas where mining frequently takes place.

The maps chart water resources in the various provinces and are overlaid with maps of mining and mineral-refining activities in order to understand the locations at which surface and groundwater and mining collide.

The WRC said that the atlas is intended to help mining companies, investors, government departments and students get a better understanding of the impact of mining on water resources.

“While it is an extremely useful guide, the atlas does not replace Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) or tell you where you can or can’t mine, but assists with the decision-making process around the likely impacts of mining activity in a given mineral region,” the WRC said in a statement.

It added that the atlas can be used to see what potential liabilities may be and what the focus of mitigation measures may need to be in order to protect water resources in an area of operation.

“For example, water treatment plants may be needed to ensure water discharges from the mines are of good quality and won’t damage the environment or pose a risk to public health,” the WRC said.

Mining and water pollution problems

Mining often comes under the spotlight for water pollution problems. The WRC explained that uncontrolled discharges of acid, neutral, and saline mining-impacted water can have a devastating effect on surface and ground water resources.

“Acidic water leaching out of mine dumps can flow into rivers or streams, stop plants from growing and kill the food chain from the bottom up,” the WRC said. “When left unchecked, the dirty water generated from mining activities finds its way into surface water features such as rivers and wetlands, negatively impacting both downstream users and the aquatic environment.

The WRC added that the atlas will:

• Help government departments visualise and highlight areas that are very risky, and help define key questions for impact assessments.
• It will serve as an educational reference for legislators and universities.
• It is geared towards raising awareness among the public about the critical link between water and mining.

The WRC said the atlas’ primary benefit lies in the ability to assess cumulative impacts of mining in a catchment, through the understanding of the presence of upstream mines (both operational and derelict), as well as the sensitivity of the receiving water environment.

“This in turn will enable an improved understanding of an individual mine’s potential impact versus the cumulative impact,” the WRC said.