INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENT & MINE WATER
Profitability and resource conservation can co-exist. WASA speaks to Chris Braybrooke, GM: Marketing, Veolia Services Southern Africa, about intervention and management strategies.
Veolia’s Dolphin Coast Landfill Management site in KwaZulu-Natal
Determining the true cost of water Chris Braybrooke, GM: Marketing, Veolia Services Southern Africa
Why is water stewardship so important? CB The impacts of climate change are all around us, especially when it comes to water quality and water scarcity. Unless all sectors of society take collective responsibility, we run the major risk of polluting the few resources we have left. That will in turn push up the cost of water purification treatment and compliance, with a resulting financial knock-on effect for industry, mines and their neighbouring municipalities. That’s why it’s critical that mines and industry take full responsibility for their water cycle – from abstraction to treatment and eventual discharge. How does Veolia help mines and general industry remain compliant? The cost of non-compliance is not an option, whether from an environmental, reputational or operational perspective.
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Mining and industrial operations run 24/7 and they cannot afford to shut down even for a few days. Were this to happen due to a non-compliance issue, the repercussions could result in the withdrawal of investor support, punitive fines and even business closure. Our focus at Veolia is multifaceted across our three core business areas, namely water, energy and waste. We work with our mining and industrial clients to shift these elements from a potential risk to a business opportunity. In this respect, Veolia has more than 350 proprietary technologies that we can draw from to develop tailored solutions. That’s important because mining and industrial wastewater streams tend to require complex process techniques. Within the mix, there are also energy opportunities. Examples include biogas plants used to fuel boilers and/or as a heat source. Although essential, investment in water
and wastewater treatment plants is capital intensive, and the cost doesn’t contribute positively to the mine’s bottom line. However, not having adequate treatment facilities in place also means that mines cannot legally operate. So, it’s about finding the optimum financial and environmentally compliant balance. What is Veolia’s SHEQ policy? Across the board, Veolia has strict safety, health, environment and quality (SHEQ) systems in place. As a company, we have a zero-tolerance approach to noncompliance across all our operating sites. The Veolia Group is further governed by its Impact 2023 programme. Impact 2023 aligns Veolia’s multifaceted performance model with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, against which all Veolia business units are measured in terms of agreed-on key performance indicators.
