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Effective water management is essential in mineral processing to ensure operational efficiency and regulatory compliance. Minetek provides advanced solutions for managing caustic and acid mine drainage generated from mining activities. With a proven track record in challenging mining environments, our cost-effective water evaporation systems help operators access resources and manage by-products efficiently while adhering to environmental standards. Trust Minetek to deliver reliable and compliant water management solutions for your mining operations.
Économies de coûts
Réduire considérablement les coûts d'exploitation en minimisant le besoin d'élimination hors site et les coûts de traitement de l'eau.
Responsabilité environnementale
Minimisez votre impact sur l'environnement en éliminant le besoin de recourir aux méthodes traditionnelles d'élimination des déchets liquides et en réduisant le risque de stockage d'eau excédentaire.
Solution mobile et évolutive
Nos systèmes peuvent s'adapter à l'évolution des besoins de vos opérations pétrolières et gazières, garantissant ainsi leur efficacité au fur et à mesure de votre croissance.
Conformité réglementaire
Minetek vous aide à naviguer et à dépasser les réglementations environnementales strictes, en veillant à ce que vos activités restent conformes.
Standalone or hybrid acid mine water solution
Minetek’s evaporation technology is a cost-effective standalone or hybrid dewatering solution. With the ability to process varying water qualities, including solids up to 4.0mm in diameter and acid mine water with a pH level ranging from 1.8 to 14+. Two 600/300 Minetek Evaporators can quickly evaporate an Olympic-sized pool in just 24 hours (depending on the climate) significantly reducing a mine’s water levels in their pits or tailings storage facilities.
Acid Mine Drainage
Acid mine drainage isn’t always obvious at first glance. While some contaminated water turns orange, yellow or cloudy, heavy metals and acidity can still be present even when the water appears clear. Once it starts, the damage doesn’t stop, it spreads, seeps into waterways and disrupts ecosystems. Here are some frequently asked questions about acid mine drainage.
Acid mine drainage often reveals itself through discoloured water: orange, yellow, or cloudy. But appearances can be deceptive. Even clear water may carry high acidity and dissolved metals like arsenic or lead. Accurate identification requires pH testing and heavy metal analysis, especially near mining sites with exposed sulfide minerals.
Acid mine drainage lowers pH levels, intensifying the reactivity of metals and other pollutants. When mixed with industrial contaminants, it accelerates chemical reactions, mobilising toxins and amplifying ecological damage across waterways.
Yes. Acidic water weakens soil structures and corrodes rock formations. Over time, this degradation can destabilise slopes, increasing the risk of landslides, especially in high-rainfall regions or areas with poor drainage.
By flooding ecosystems with acidity and heavy metals, acid mine drainage suffocates aquatic life and disrupts food chains. It forms iron precipitates, like “yellow boy,” that blanket streambeds, choking out oxygen and biodiversity.
Acid mine drainage alters soil pH and infuses it with toxic metals, reducing fertility. This stunts plant growth, contaminates crops, and can render entire landscapes unproductive for years.
Heavy rainfall accelerates runoff, spreading acidic contaminants faster. Drier seasons can concentrate pollutants in stagnant pools. Climate change intensifies both extremes, worsening the spread and severity of acid mine drainage.
It can persist for decades or even centuries. The chemical reaction that causes it continues long after mining stops, especially in the absence of active treatment. Contaminants from abandoned sites often leach into nearby ecosystems, creating ongoing environmental and regulatory challenges.
Prevention starts with controlling exposure. This includes sealing waste rock, managing runoff, and using alkaline materials to neutralise acidity. However, these methods are often complex and costly without a sustainable water management system.
Chemical treatment and water transport come with high capital and ongoing maintenance costs. Minetek’s on-site evaporation systems eliminate these expenses by reducing water volumes at the source, removing the need for complex pre-treatment or chemical plants. This lowers overhead, simplifies operations, and delivers long-term savings while maintaining environmental integrity.
Controlled evaporation stabilises acidity while reducing water volume. Minetek’s high-performance evaporators are engineered to handle extreme conditions, including high TDS, TSS, and acidity. By focusing on volume reduction at the source, our systems simplify acid mine drainage management without compromising environmental performance or site flexibility.