Question NW2027 to the Minister of Water and Sanitation
22 June 2023 - NW2027
Phillips, Ms C to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
Whether, in light of the increasing demand for both potable and grey water, he will consider reintroducing the project that was shelved in 2021 which would have seen grey and potable water being produced from the acid mine drainage that is currently posing a threat to many buildings and homes in the eastern, central and western basins on the Witwatersrand; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
There have been numerous projects over the last few years to investigate the feasibility of utilising Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) as a possible source of potable and/or grey water to add to the current water available to the Gauteng Province.
The objective, and one of the recommendations from the report: “Feasibility Study for a Long-Term Solution to Address the Acid Mine Drainage Associated with The East, Central and West Rand Underground Mining Basins, 2013" completed by Trans-Caledon Tunnel Agency, was to utilise the partially treated AMD from the three basins to potable standard to supplement the Vaal System.
Various technologies as well as alternative uses for AMD have been scrutinised and a report detailing the outcome and recommendations on how the Long-Term Solution should be implemented has been reviewed and will be released in the current financial year. Some of the options being considered include
- Treating AMD effluent to potable standard and irrigation with mine water (treated and untreated).
- Irrigation of crops using gold mine impacted waters as a Long-Term sustainable solution for mine water from the Witwatersrand Basins. In terms of this, a pilot project is being implemented under the guidance of the Water Research Commission and run by the University of Pretoria, is currently underway in the East Rand (Springs) and the results thereof will be released in due course.
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