As a refinery, Zincor uses water in various processes in its plant. Historically, this was mostly potable water (drinking quality) supplied by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. Clearly, this industrial use of potable water not only costs the operation money, but will put strain on South Africa’s limited potable water resources. waterThis water is eventually lost through evaporation in the plant process, while other water is contaminated during use and therefore evaporated as it is unfit for direct release back into a water resource.

Given the growing demand for water in Gauteng and scarcity of this natural resource, it has become important for any operation to prove that water utilisation is optimised by reuse and reclamation of contaminated water .

After extensive groundwater investigations, and determining the extent of the groundwater pollution plume (or spread of pollutants from source), Zincor management decided to abstract groundwater immediately upstream and downstream of its operations and use this contaminated water as process water in the plant. This initiative, approved in advance by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, will significantly reduce the contaminated groundwater base flow and eventually draw the pollution back to the source. The added bonus is that it will reduce the amount of potable water bought from the municipality, which can then be used for residential developments.

Zincor has also developed a system through which water runoff from the roofs of the plant is collected in tanks and pumped into the process water system. The advantages of implementing this system include reducing the amount of contaminated water that needed to be cleaned prior to disposal, but “free” water to be used in the process. Zincor now also recycles laundry water into the process water system.

In addition, the operation has initiated a study on the viability of a permanent water-treatment plant as part of its operations. This study will be completed in 2009. The company is actively involved in the Eastern Basin working group executive committee and Blesbokspruit catchment forum in line with its commitment to both stakeholder communication and managing its water resources as required by the National Water Act.