Alarm over plan to get SA sipping acid mine water
THE government wants South Africans to start drinking purified acid mine water — but several water scientists say the plan is hard to swallow.
Concerns over the multibillion-rand treatment plan are set to be raised tomorrow at a key Department of Water and Sanitation meeting.
Critics of the plan say it is illconceived and economically illogical, and will add to South Africa’s pollution woes.
With a final decision on longterm treatment imminent, an alternative plan has been proposed — using old mine dumps to fill up the huge mining void beneath Johannesburg.
But the government insists the “pump and treat” strategy is the best way to stop a toxic flood polluting scarce water resources.
Treated acid mine water is already being added to municipal supplies in eMalahleni in Mpumalanga, courtesy of a reclamation plant launched by Anglo American Coal.
There is a similar plan to treat the river of acid water welling up beneath Johannesburg.
The issue was highlighted in 2002 when part of the void filled up and water began pouring into the Tweelopiespruit.
In response, the government authorised an emergency treatment facility for the central basin that pumps out water before it reaches the surface. The water is partially treated and released into a nearby river. A similar facility services the western basin near Randfontein.
Although the emergency treatment plan largely worked — but at huge expense — concern is mounting that the government is about to authorise a long-term strategy based on the same approach, with the added step of treating the water to potable standards.
Several prominent scientists claim the plan amounts to economic suicide because it entails keeping the pumps running indefinitely.
Concerns have been fuelled by a government long-term feasibility study due to be signed by Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane later this year.
A synopsis of this study, seen by the Sunday Times, details an elaborate “pump and treat” approach aimed at keeping mine water below an “environmentally critical level” in the ground. Once treated to potable quality, the water could be sold to local municipalities, the synopsis says.
However, some water scientists believe the treatment plan will entrench the acid water problem. An alternative plan involves using mine dumps to fill the mining void, thereby removing a source of pollution.
Frank Winde of North-West University said the “pump and treat” approach was “environmentally and economically unsustainable”.
He said research showed that allowing a basin to fill up reduced the volume of water flowing from the void and improved the quality, thereby making it much easier to treat.
Water consultant Anthony Turton said the government needed to consider alternative approaches.
“I do not think [drinking treated acid mine water] is the correct thing to do. If we think e-tolling got people angry, then if you tell people you will give them this nasty stuff . . . we are stirring a dragon,” he said.
Mariette Liefferink of the Federation for a Sustainable Environment said treating acid mine water to drinking-water standards may not be economically feasible.
According to some estimates, desalination plants to treat the required 200 million litres a day would cost R10-billion to build and R2.4-million a day to run. It
It seems there is no political will to pursue long-term treatment with proper diligence
is unclear what the mine dump alternative would cost; experts say it would be much cheaper.
“It seems there is no political will to pursue long-term treatment with proper diligence. It would be impossible for any mining company to [pump and treat] large volumes of water to potable standard for hundreds of years.”
Sputnik Ratau, spokesman for the Water and Sanitation Department, said the longterm feasibility study report had been finalised and the minister was considering its recommendations. “The report addresses all possible uses of treated [acid mine drainage], including . . . industrial use as well as potential . . . domestic purposes. However, the decision is the prerogative of the minster, who will make announcements by October. Pending the treatment costs, [acid mine drainage] can be treated to any quality to be used for any purpose.”
Ratau said a mine void was being filled in the western basin, where alkaline sludge was dumped into the West Wits Pit. “Results indicate that because of the alkaline nature of the sludge, an improvement in the quality of the water is observed.”