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excess supply. The water can then
be withdrawn when it is required.
Traditionally MAR was applied across
South Australia in the metropolitan
areas where stormwater was
harvested, treated and reinjected
underground into the aquifer to store
the water until the time it was needed.
In the last five years this technology
has been applied in the mining
industry. This process is used when
mining results in
high groundwater
inflows
which
exceed
the
required amount
needed for the
processing activity.
This excess water
is reinjected back
into the aquifer
from
which
it
came using a MAR
scheme.
In the past mines would pump
water out and evaporate it off to get
rid of it. But this is not done now as
excess water generated in mining
operations is no longer considered
a waste product. Mining companies
look to specialists like Australian
Groundwater Technologies to develop
a MAR scheme to deal with the
excess mine water. Before water
management through MAR is done,
an investigation is conducted.
This is done by drilling a number of
investigation bores which are tested
to help provide information about the
characteristics of the aquifer such
as its permeability to determine the
rate at which groundwater will flow
through it. A number of tools including
groundwater numerical modelling are
used, which help predict the rate of
ground water inflows or how an aquifer
might respond to water supply.
AustralianGroundwater Technologies
has developed over 60 MAR schemes
and it is regularly approached by
mining companies who require a
knowledgeable and experienced
consultant in this area.
Jason van den Akker, Principal
We have a
reputation
for being
specialists
in MAR