Universities to investigate cause of Jagersfontein dam failure

The department of water and sanitation has appointed Wits and Pretoria universities to investigate the causes of the failure of a storage dam at Jagersfontein last year.

The main tailings dam in the southern Free State town collapsed after a structural failure, flooding the townships of Charlesville and Itumeleng. Scores of people were left homeless while the sludge polluted the area and water resources.

The universities will “assist the department to ensure that similar occurrences are prevented ... and to improve its regulation of tailings dam safety,” department spokesperson Wisane Mavasa said. “This is a very complex technical matter, and the investigation is expected to be concluded by the end of March 2024.”

In April this year the department called on mining houses to register tailings dams to ensure they are regulated.

“These are dams that have a wall height exceeding 5-metres and are able to store 50,000m³ of liquid,” Mavasa said.

The department intends to gazette a notice to enable it to compel reluctant mining companies to comply and to institute enforcement action if required. It is working with the department of mineral resources & energy and energy, using satellite technology to identify non-compliant tailings storage facilities.

Mavasa said the department would hold mining companies accountable for rehabilitating polluted water resources and restoring water and sanitation services in affected areas, to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.

The department opened a case against the Jagersfontein Development (JD) mining company in November in terms of the National Water Act that deals with the release of substances (slimes/mine process materials) that pollute or have the potential to pollute water resources.

The department has also ordered JD to rehabilitate and restore the affected water courses, including the Wolwas Dam, Kromellenboog River, Proses Spruit, Riet River and the Kalkfontein Dam.

The work consists of:

• containing deposited slimes by placing structures such as retaining walls, weirs, rock packs and silt fences; 
• removing sludge from preferential flow paths and dams; and
• removing sludge from slopes, banks and adjacent landscapes or applying bioremediation. 

The department is monitoring the the quality of surface and groundwater sources, and assessing monthly water quality test results submitted by JD as per the department’s directive, Mavasa said, adding there has been progress in clearing residue in the water courses and improved test results of water quality.

“Processes to finalise evidence gathering and collecting scientific and engineering information on the case have been concluded, and the department will now be issuing a warning statement to the alleged transgressor before the file is handed to the National Prosecuting Authority,” Mavasa said. 

The department has also issued the mine to appoint certified professionals to oversee the immediate emptying of the remaining compartment 2 of the facility, which still contains tailings, and the decommissioning of the entire facility.

According to the department, the professionals conducted a dam breach analysis to ascertain the level of risks that would be experienced should the remaining compartment fail, and the report was submitted to the department

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