Water saving project at Koffiefontein

As an ‘early adopter’ and initiator of good environmental practice, Petra has made a commitment within its EMS at Koffiefontein to optimise the consumption of resources such as raw water. This commitment aligns with the United Nations Water Report of 2017, exploring waste water as an untapped resource. During FY 2017, the following changes in the water circuit at Koffiefontein were implemented to optimise the use of water in the treatment process:

• desilting and recommissioning of two return water dams within the processing plant footprint to optimise waste water recovery;
• reprioritising the use of recycled water in lieu of raw water obtained from the Kalkfontein dam;
• shortening the water reticulation network within the processing plant; and
• reducing the volume of water pumped to the settling paddocks.

The latter point indicates a change in pumping philosophy which has the added benefits of reducing water losses (due to evaporation) and electricity consumption, as less pumps are needed to convey the water.

These changes have resulted in substantial water savings, via a 26% reduction in raw water consumption and a 14% increase in water recycling during FY 2017.