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Process Water Challenge

Mining process water from crushing, grinding, and flotation circuits contains suspended solids, residual reagents, and dissolved metals. Effective treatment enables water reuse, reduces freshwater consumption, and ensures regulatory compliance for any discharge.

Crushing & Grinding

Process water from ore comminution contains rock fines, grinding media wear particles, and lubricants. Requires solids removal before reuse in processing circuits.

Flotation Circuits

Flotation process water contains collector chemicals, frothers, and fine mineral particles. Treatment must address both suspended solids and residual reagents.

Water Reuse Goals

Target 80-95% water recycling to minimise freshwater intake, reduce discharge volumes, and achieve sustainable water management in water-scarce regions.

Quality Requirements

Reuse water typically requires <30 mg/L TSS and controlled pH. Discharge may require additional metals removal and pH adjustment to meet environmental standards.

Process Water Applications

Crushing Circuit Water

Treatment of washdown and process water from primary, secondary, and tertiary crushing operations. Removes rock fines and dust for dust suppression reuse.

Grinding Mill Water

Clarification of ball mill and SAG mill process water containing ore fines, grinding media particles, and mill lubricants for return to the grinding circuit.

Flotation Water

Treatment of flotation tailings water and concentrate thickener overflow for reuse in flotation circuits, maintaining reagent balance and water quality.

Thickener Overflow

Polishing clarification of thickener overflow water to achieve low suspended solids for high-quality process water reuse throughout the plant.

Leachate Treatment

Treatment of heap leach and dump leach pregnant and barren solutions, including solids removal and pH adjustment for optimal metal recovery.

Pipeline Transport Water

Slurry pipeline makeup water treatment to prevent scaling and corrosion while maintaining transport efficiency for concentrate and tailings pipelines.

5-Step Treatment Process

1

Screening

Coarse screening removes large debris and protects downstream equipment from damage and abrasion in high-solids mining water.

2

Grit Removal

Sand traps remove abrasive sand and heavy particles to protect pumps, valves, and process equipment from wear.

3

Clarification

LAMELLA separators achieve high-rate solids settling with 70% smaller footprint, producing clear overflow for reuse.

4

Filtration

Self-cleaning filters provide final polishing to achieve <10 mg/L TSS for high-quality process water applications.

5

pH Adjustment

Automated pH correction ensures water chemistry is suitable for reuse in processing circuits or meets discharge requirements.

Recommended Equipment

LAMELLA Separator

High-rate clarification for process water with high solids loading. Compact design ideal for remote mining locations with limited space.

70% Smaller Footprint

Sand Traps

Remove abrasive grit and sand to protect downstream pumps and equipment from premature wear in harsh mining environments.

Equipment Protection

Self-Cleaning Filters

Automatic backwash filtration for final polishing. Continuous operation with minimal maintenance requirements.

Continuous Operation

DAF Systems

Dissolved air flotation for fine particle removal and treatment of oily wastewater from equipment washdown areas.

Fine Particle Removal

Polymer Station

Automated polymer preparation and dosing for enhanced solids settling and improved clarification efficiency.

Optimised Flocculation

Containerised Plants

Pre-engineered, mobile treatment systems for rapid deployment at remote mine sites and temporary operations.

Plug & Play

Key Benefits & Efficiency Gains

Achieve 80-95% water recycling rates
Reduce freshwater consumption by up to 90%
Meet discharge standards <30 mg/L TSS
70% smaller footprint than conventional clarifiers
Low operating requirements with minimal chemical use
Automated operation reduces labour requirements
Robust design for harsh mining environments
Modular systems for easy capacity expansion

Related Mining Applications

Tailings Management

Efficient solid-liquid separation for tailings thickening and water recovery.

Explore Mining Tailings

Site Dewatering

High-capacity dewatering solutions for pit and underground mine water management.

Explore Mining Dewatering

Coal Mining

Coal fines recovery and tailings thickening for coal washery operations.

Explore Mining Coal

Metal Ore Processing

Process water treatment for copper, gold, iron ore, and base metal operations.

Explore Mining Metal Ore

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Optimise Your Process Water Treatment

Contact our experts for a customised solution for your mining operation.

Industries We Serve

Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.