Water management is a key topic in the July issue of International Mining magazine. VWS Envig, one of the leading suppliers of water treatment solutions, through its Namibian subsidiary Aqua Services & Engineering (ASE) has completed a project at the Areva Trekkopje uranium mine in Namibia, commissioned in 2007. It provided an additional potable water treatment plant for 200 people and wastewater treatment plants for 200 and 500 people respectively during the construction of MIDI and MAXI plants on site. Based on the success of these developments, Areva Resources Namibia has commissioned an additional plant for the mine for April 2010 and this is currently in the construction phase.
This project was prompted by the non-conformance of Trekkopje mine’s water supply to Class A type potable water, which necessitated additional treatment for the provision of safe potable water for plant workers. Furthermore, the mine is located in a desert environment and, as specific caution is awarded to environmental aspects, the wastewater needed to be treated to environmentally acceptable standards before being discharged or further used on site.
The Swakopmund Omdel aquifer system is the raw water source for the plants, although this will change to Areva’s own desalination plant in the future. VWS Envig’s potable water plant provides for a side stream RO system with prior sand filtration and disinfection, and supplies Class A potable water at 2m³/h. Delivering final effluent in line with environmental requirements, the wastewater plant consists of two biological trickling filter systems with septic tanks and final water tanks with disinfection. The two sewage systems treat 25m³ and 50m³ per day respectively.
Leonhard Eins, ASE Maintenance Manager explains some project technicalities: “As the locations are only temporary, the plants were supplied as containerised units that can easily be dismantled once the site is decommissioned and reused elsewhere. Areva Resources Namibia made provisions for the site works, while we were responsible for the on-site installation and commissioning of the plants, which were pre-fitted in our Windhoek workshop.”
Eins says ASE provides on-site operator training together with installation and commissioning. “We follow this training up by offering continuous support through proactive maintenance visits to ensure the full operation of the plants and complete customer satisfaction.”