Water plays a central role in the business of Pan African Resources, and we are committed to conserving and recycling our water and reducing reliance on fresh water sources.
Our water conservation strategies:
- Ensuring compliance with water-use licence conditions and the approved Environmental Management Plan, in line with King IV guidelines
- Reducing water incidents and incidental overflow to minimise the impact on surrounding communities and the environment
- Recycling excess underground mine discharge water for reuse in our surface operations
- Ensuring all tailings storage facilities are lined and monitored according to the requirements of the Department of Water and Sanitation to prevent groundwater contamination
- Pan African is currently investigating two water treatment technologies, namely Ultra Filtration (UF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO), as a solution to recycling water that is pumped from underground workings, and once treated, can replace purchased water from the municipality (Rand Water), resulting in considerable cost savings
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Water reuse and recycling
We take care to use water responsibly at our mines. Our operations at Barberton and Evander Mines have been rated as low risk to baseline water stress, drought severity and threatened amphibian species. This suggests our water withdrawals do not negatively affect local surface water bodies and that we are not withdrawing water from water stress regions.
Our mines are being equipped to continuously reuse recycled water and reduce the need for freshwater replenishment. This approach also reduces environmental and operational costs.
At Barberton Mines, a highly effective close-loop water recycling circuit reuses the bulk of the released groundwater and process water for other mining processes, including water supply in the tailings retreatment plants. Excess water is released into special purpose evaporation ponds, while rainwater is collected in tailings and pollution control dams and incorporated into the mine water system.
Reducing the amount of dirty water produced through the mining process reduces the need for freshwater extraction which, in turn, reduces energy costs from pumping and water treatment. Our mines are being equipped to continuously reuse recycled water and reduce the need for freshwater replenishment. This approach also reduces environmental and operational costs.
Water withdrawal by source
| Barberton Mines | Evander Mines | Group | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface water (including water from wetlands, river, lakes and oceans) | Unit | 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Groundwater | 0 m2 | 1,452 | 386 | 1,515 | 3,461 | 2,967 | 3,847 |
| Rainwater collected directly and stored by PAR | 0 m2 | 2,106 | 1,296 | 6,148 | 5,960 | 8,254 | 7,256 |
| Municipal water supplies or other public or private water utilities | 0 m2 | - | - | 949 | 1,246 | 949 | 1,246 |
| Total water used for primary activity | 0 m2 | 3,556 | 2,698 | 9,859 | 10,671 | 13,417 | 13,369 |
| Recycled water (process) | % | 36 | 20 | 60 | 57 | n/a | n/a |
Compliance
All our mining operations hold approved water-use licences issued by the Department of Water and Sanitation. We perform annual internal and external audits to ensure full compliance with the requirements of our water licences. Comprehensive operational procedures are in place and are updated at least every 2 years to ensure compliance with updates to the National Water Act 36 of 1998.
Protecting Water Quality
Stringent environmental controls across our operations ensure local water bodies and related habitats are not negatively affected by our water discharges and run-off. We oversee an intensive monitoring programme for water quality and overall biological health, as well as a proactive storm water management strategy. Surface and groundwater samples are regularly taken and analysed according to our water-use licence requirements. River health reports are produced by an aquatic specialist twice a year.
Our tailings storage facilities are lined and monitored according to the requirements of the Department of Water & Sanitation, and we continuously monitor surrounding groundwater through independent sampling at a SANAS-accredited laboratory.
Community Partnerships
community awareness regarding the importance of maintaining river health. We also monitor the negative environmental impact of illegal mining activities, including mercury and sulphites released directly into rivers and streams. Our monthly water pollution reports can assist authorities in mitigating these illegal and dangerous activities. Pan African continues to fund and facilitates regular and well-attended river clean-up days with local communities which include basic education on keeping rivers clean.
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