New acid mine drainage treatment plant will help water supply in Gauteng
A third high-density sludge treatment plant in Gauteng is one of a number of ways the government hopes to bolster the water supply in the province. This is according to Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, who commissioned the Eastern Basin Acid Mine Drainage Treatment plant in Springs on Friday. Two other plants‚ the Western Basin in Krugersdorp and the Central Basin in Germiston‚ have been operational for a few years. The Eastern Basin is the largest of the three and the largest of its kind in the world‚ Mokonyane said. The plants are part of the government’s plan to stop polluted mine water from reaching a certain level below the surface‚ which affects the country’s water sources. The polluted water is extracted from the mine void in the region and sent to the three treatment plants. Once the water has been treated, it is released into nearby water sources‚ such as wetlands‚ streams and dams. "The problem of acid mine drainage has persisted for centuries and we have t...
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