New Afton continues prioritizing projects to meet the strategic objective of removing the pond at the New Afton Tailings Storage Facility (NATSF). To reduce freshwater demand in the underground mine, New Afton Mine is completing the evaluation of an underground water reuse system. Full commissioning of this system is expected to occur in July 2025.
“It is a rewarding project because we will see the benefits immediately, minimizing freshwater use and reducing the strain on the mine dewatering system,” said Zlatan Todorovic, Project Lead. “New Afton can repurpose about 40,000 litres of water each hour, which is enough to fill one Olympic-size swimming pool every three days.”
The water reuse system collects and polishes underground reclaim water for mining processes such as drilling, dust suppression, and installing shotcrete to stabilize tunnels.
“By utilizing the existing mine reclaim water, we reduce our reliance on fresh water from Kamloops Lake by up to 350 million litres per year,” said Zlatan. “It is a win-win situation for New Afton and the community—we can help conserve a vital natural resource and improve water efficiencies onsite.”
The underground reuse project could also reduce New Afton’s energy consumption, through reduced evaporator machine operation. By reducing New Afton’s freshwater demand, additional demand is put on process water reclaim from the NATSF, which would reduce the requirement to operate the evaporators at the end of the evaporative season.
Installing this system may also bring other working benefits. New Afton will have access to an underground reservoir, improving water source versatility if challenges are encountered with the freshwater supply from Kamloops Lake.
By harnessing the available mine reclaim water, New Afton can improve its operational efficiency and reinforce its commitment to more sustainable mining practices. This initiative-taking approach will optimize water management, paving the way for a more sustainable mining operation.
