Tailings Treatment
Our Technologies for Tailings Water Treatment
Managing water associated with tailings storage facilities (TSFs) requires highly adaptable and robust solutions. Whether dealing with active tailings deposition, managing seepage, or reclaiming legacy sites, BQE Water provides advanced tailings water treatment technologies that address complex contaminants. Our mine tailings water treatment solutions offer significant advantages:
- Effectively treats highly variable flows of tailings seepage and surface runoff.
- Targets a wide range of contaminants including heavy metals, selenium, and sulphate.
- Reduces the volume of unstable treatment sludge, generating clean, non-hazardous by-products suitable for co-disposal.
- Ensures reliable compliance with strict environmental discharge limits during active operations and through mine closure.
ACTIVE TAILINGS SEEPAGE & SUPERNATANT TREATMENT
We utilize proprietary technologies like Selen-IX™ and Sulf-IX™ to selectively remove specific contaminants from tailings pond supernatant and seepage. Our systems are engineered to handle the fluctuating water chemistry and seasonal flow variations typical of active tailings facilities, ensuring continuous regulatory compliance without disrupting mine operations.
LEGACY TAILINGS RECLAMATION
For non-operating or legacy sites, we design and operate pH-neutral treatment systems to mitigate the environmental impact of tailings pore water and surface runoff during excavation and consolidation activities. Our ChemSulphide® process safely removes heavy metals, allowing for safe water discharge while supporting sustainable mine closure.
CASE STUDIES
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ERDC – ELSA RECLAMATION
Mitigate the environmental impact of legacy tailings through the pH-neutral treatment of pore water and surface runoff during excavation and consolidation. We utilized a 115 m³/day ChemSulphide® plant to safely discharge treated water while pumping sludge to geotubes for sustainable mine closure.
COEUR WHARF MINE
Supported environmental compliance for a mine expansion through the treatment of selenium in tailings seepage using our proven, fast-acting Selen-IX™ technology, handling large fluctuations in flow and performing reliably in cold conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tailings Water Treatment
Can you treat water from legacy or abandoned tailings facilities?
Yes. We provide targeted treatment systems, such as our ChemSulphide® process, specifically designed to handle the pore water and surface runoff generated during the reclamation, excavation, and consolidation of legacy tailings sites, ensuring safe discharge into the environment.
Are the treatment residues safe for co-disposal with mine tailings?
Absolutely. Our proprietary non-biological treatment systems, such as Selen-IX™, produce highly stable, non-hazardous solid by-products. Extensive testing, including TCLP, has verified these solids are safe for standard co-disposal directly within the tailings storage facility, eliminating the need for expensive hazardous waste landfills.