With predictions indicating that South Africa will experience significant water shortages in the next 15 years, a number of companies are working to improve the management of their water resources.

One such company is black-owned and JSE-listed mining and exploration company Optimum Coal, which launched its water treatment plant last week.

The water treatment plant, which forms a critical part of the company’s long-term water management strategy, based on reducing the generation of polluted water through responsible mining and land use practices, is situated south-east of Middelburg, in Mpumlanga, and cost about R600-miilion to construct.

The plant ensures that Optimum Coal’s long-term water management strategy during and after the life-of-mine will be managed in a sustainable manner. The plant will also enable Optimum to become a zero-effluent mine.

Speaking at the launch of the plant, Water Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said that the plant is an example of the South African industry realising that it should use water responsibly and provide water solutions in a sustainable manner. “This relief will [go a long way] to meeting the water needs of the region and will make a difference to the communities surrounding the Optimum collieries,” she added.

The plant can treat about 15-million litres of potable water a day, which will be sold to the local Steve Tshwete local municipality.

Optimum Coal CEO Mike Teke said that the capital required to construct the facility was generated by Optimum Coal Holdings, while the operating costs of the facility, during the life-of-mine, will be funded as part of the mine’s operational costs.

“Revenue generated from the sale of the water will offset some of the operating costs and, after the life-of-mine period, the operational costs of the plant will be funded from revenue generated from the sale of water, as well as from provisions to be made in the mine’s environmental trust fund,” he explained.

The plant uses Aveng Group’s high recovery precipitating reverse-osmosis process to treat the water.

“We are pleased to have partnered with Optimum Coal in this state-of-the-art water treatment plant,” said Aveng CEO Roger Jardine.

Construction work at the plant started in October 2008.

“At the peak of the construction activi- ties, there were 610 people working on the project. However, as the project porgressed, we needed more specialised employees and, currently, there are almost 370 people on site,” said Optimum Coal health and safety director Dr Vik Cogho.

About 95% of the treated water will be available for the surrounding communities, while the remaining 5% will be returned to the environment by discharging it into the Klein Olifants river to sustain the aquatic reserve, as required by the Department of Water Affairs.