Water Wheel Sept 2021: Water And Industry

Abstract

What then are the prospects for reusing water impacted by mining activity to irrigate crops? A number of Water Research Commission (WRC) studies over the past two decades in the coalfields of Mpumalanga and the goldfields of the Witwatersrand found that using mine wastewater for agriculture was technically feasible. We are frequently reminded that South Africa is a water-scarce country. Similarly, we know mines produce a lot of water and dealing with it can be costly. We know too that commercial agriculture is the country’s biggest user of water – responsible for about 60% of water withdrawals – including precious potable resources, unnecessarily good for the job. Reusing mining-impacted water for agriculture could unlock a host of environmental and economic benefits. It could cut waste treatment costs, offsetting the cost of rehabilitating spent mines. It also holds promise for improving the lives of rural poor, providing work after mines have closed, and contributing to the government’s goal of building a more equitable society. It seems a waste not to put mine-water to good use.

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