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Cape Town in South Africa famously endured five years of water scarcity, with inhabitants limited to 50 litres each per day – just enough for a quick shower, two litres of drinking water, one sink of dishes or laundry, one cooked meal, two hand washings and a toilet flush. Just this year, we saw similar shortages in places as diverse as Spain, Mexico and Zambia.

The global mining industry is already facing the consequences of growing water scarcity. In Australia, there is mounting community and government pressure for mine sites to use less water and manage it better.

In Chile, several mines recently had to stop operations altogether and find costly alternatives when a drought made fresh water unavailable.

More than half of all the world’s copper mines will be at risk of being shut down by drought by 2050, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Lithium and cobalt are at even higher risk of drought exposure — 74% of sites are expected to be affected.

Martin Spitznagel
Chairman of the Board and Founder at Bind-X

Martin Spitznagel, Chairman of the Board and Founder at Bind-X, says we in the mining sector need to be taking action to cut down on wasting water before it gets more expensive and more threatening to day-to-day operations.

“We have to prepare for the fact there are going to be another billion people added to the planet over the next 10 to 15 years, which will make it even more tricky to manage water in all areas of society and business,” Martin says.

“It’s going to be the most precious resource. That obviously affects mining, because water management is already one of the most important aspects when you’re running an existing or setting up a new project.”

While new projects are having to account for water savings, existing sites have less and less water available.

It doesn’t help that water allocation prices in Australia are shooting up and that more frequent water scarcity and drought is likely to drive water prices even higher for miners. Water entitlements across New South Wales increased in value from around AU$29 billion in 2021 to an estimated AU$34 billion in 2023 — a 17% increase in two years. If water wastage isn’t curbed, existing mines may struggle to keep their licence to operate and new projects will become unviable. 

Martin says that, while many key operations on a mine are always going to be water hungry — most process plants require large amounts of water, for example — there is one area where savings can be made right now.  

Smart mine operators have begun to adapt to a changed environment. Many of them are now looking into less water-hungry alternatives for dust control. These include bitumen emulsions, polymers, salts and lignosulfonates, all of which have their own drawbacks and can still place heavy demands on your water allocation, not to mention your bottom line.  

There is a new approach which has proven to slash water usage without reliance on crude oil-based or chemical products. Biological dust control removes the need to constantly rewater your roads by using microbes that bind the dust together, turning it into solid rock. These mineral-based bonds hold the dust particles together to form a smooth, solid surface and prevent them from becoming airborne. Martin says mines using this biological method have seen a dramatic reduction in water usage. 

Most mines cut water consumption by more than 90% and significantly improve the road quality when they switch from plain water to biological dust control. It’s because you have a binding approach, not only a wettening approach, with a positive impact on the needed application frequency.  

Cutting back on spraying roads reduces immediate operational pressure and, in the long run, will ensure that you can use your water budget for the process plant and reduce your risk of being impacted by shortages.  

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Between dust suppression, drinking water, and dewatering, the volume of water removed from the ground is significant. Over 70 percent of WA mines still rely on plain water for dust control. This traditional approach, though widely used, is both inefficient and unsustainable in a state where water scarcity is more of an issue every year.

“Dust control doesn’t need to rely on large volumes of water anymore. New technologies can achieve the same, if not better, results while addressing environmental and regulatory challenges,” explains Martin Krehenbrink, Managing Director at Bind-X.

One of the biggest challenges facing the mining industry in WA’s Goldfields is water scarcity, according to an article by ABC News, where current shortages are described as a “key limitation on growth”. 

Similar issues exist in the Pilbara, where people have called for a more sustainable approach to groundwater management.

Regions like Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the Pilbara illustrate the urgency of sustainable water use. In Kalgoorlie, the city council recently began reviewing its water contracts with local mines, reflecting rising concerns over equitable water distribution. 

In an interview with the Australian Water Association, GHD Technical Director Bob Kinnell says it’s important to start looking at the impact of the industry’s water use on the catchments in the Pilbara, but also to consider how mining operations manage water in the future.

“The region gets the odd cyclone, but otherwise the aquifers do not get any significant recharge. The volume of water removed is much bigger than the volume of water coming in. Some of the consequences of this movement will last for a long time,” he explains. 

Dust suppression—an important aspect of mining operations—accounts for a significant portion of water use. In fact, plain water applied to roads, stockpiles, and processing areas is often the largest single use of water in many operations. This approach not only wastes an irreplaceable resource but also fails to address the broader environmental and regulatory challenges. 

Plain water might seem like a simple solution, but it’s far from efficient. In dry conditions, much of the water evaporates almost immediately, needing frequent reapplication. This continuous cycle leads to significant water wasted while offering only temporary relief from dust. It poses serious environmental risks, including groundwater depletion and the disruption of local ecosystems.  “It’s not going to be replenished. That water you use will eventually be gone and you need to prioritise what to use it for,” explains Krehenbrink.  “Most of the water used in mining for dust suppression comes from sources that are not sustainable. When you’re pumping millions of liters of water a day, it’s a huge environmental cost.”  And while the amount of water sprayed on mining operations depends on soil and local conditions, on average, a one kilometre road will consume hundreds of thousands of litres of water a day exclusively for dust control.

Krehenbrink says a slew of economic and environmental implications result, including the expense to keep trucks running and a hefty carbon footprint. Allocating water towards dust control limits the availability of water for vital operations at the mine – to extract and process minerals.   

He refers to examples globally where mining industry water consumption during severe droughts has caused major problems. 

 “In the last few years in Chile, we have seen access to water preventing mines from operating, because there is just not enough water. There are caps on how much water they are allowed to use.”   

He hypothesises that persisting with outdated dust suppression methods will see a future where mining in certain regions is rendered impossible.   

“The access to water will be regulated or just not available,” says Krehenbrink.   

Dust control is an essential task for mines to ensure road visibility and decrease the chance of workers and the community inhaling airborne particles. However, it is a task that can be completed with greater care for the planet and people by relying on new and proven biotechnology methods.  

New dust control technology like biological dust control offers a far better alternative to traditional methods. Developed at Murdoch University in WA, Bind-X’s new and proven technology uses natural, biodegradable, and non-toxic compounds to bind dust particles, significantly reducing the need for water.  Micro-organisms react with dust and dirt and cause sand particles to fuse and create a solid cement-like layer. Mines already applying the product use 90% less water, making it one of the easiest and most impactful steps toward meeting water reduction targets. Additionally, this approach is safer for the environment, as it avoids the use of crude-oil or industrial waste products that can harm ecosystems.  Grand Cote Operations in Senegal trialled Bind-X on their haul roads and now use 85% less water and 60,000 less litres of diesel. 

The switch to advanced dust control methods extends beyond water conservation.
 Krehenbrink emphasises, “When mines adopt modern approaches like biological dust control, the benefits cascade across the operation—from water savings to reduced emissions. It’s not just about compliance; it’s about leading the way in sustainable mining.”  For environmental managers, the path forward is clear. Addressing water scarcity is no longer optional, it’s a necessity for environmental approvals, to meet regulatory standards, and keep operations running smoothly. Dust control is an area where immediate and significant improvements can be made. 
 

WA’s mines can reduce their water dependency, protect precious aquifers, and set an example for sustainable mining practices worldwide. As the challenges of water scarcity intensify, the question remains: Is relying on plain water enough? The evidence suggests it’s time for a smarter solution. 

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