9.0 Water Use and Conservation

Transcription

1 9.0 Water Use and Cnservatin Many explratin activities require a surce f ptable and nn-ptable water. As explratin prgrams mve frm early t advanced stage, expect an increase in demand fr water and additinal stress n water quality. Water is a valued cmpnent f the ecsystem. 9.1 Sensitivities and Cncerns Water surce prtectin is f vital public cncern. Explratin activities interact with the aquatic envirnment mainly thrugh rad access, camp facilities, hydraulic stripping, drilling, and water cnsumptin (nn-ptable and ptable). Majr cncerns assciated with water usage are: Pllutin f watercurses, bdies f water, wetlands, and grund water Adverse effects n aquatic and terrestrial life r habitat Ersin f the land surface and watercurses Cnservatin and preservatin f the watershed 9.2 Planning Befre fieldwrk cmmences: Ensure that all permits, including water extractin permits and authrizatins, are in hand Dcument and reprt t apprpriate authrities and landwners all pre-existing water discharges r cnditins that may impact the envirnment Dcument any mining, frestry, and third party activities n adjacent prperties that may impinge n the envirnmental integrity f the prject site Ensure that water requirements d nt have an adverse effect n flra, fauna, human habitatin, agricultural uses, and cmmunity watersheds Lcate and identify watersheds ptentially affected by prject activities 9.3 Water Cntrl Cntrl used water, run-ff water, and run-n water t prevent silting and ersin by the use f: Ditches Culverts Berms Sumps Sediment barriers (e.g., rip-rap, brush barriers, straw r peat bales, sandbags, getextile filter clth) It is imprtant t cnstruct watercurse crssings and shreline access ramps t prevent silting, ersin, and damage t aquatic life r habitat. Page 124 f 297

2 9.4 Ptable Water: Lcatin, Supply, and Strage T ensure high quality ptable water (e.g., fr human cnsumptin, washing, fd preparatin, labratry use): Select undergrund water surces where pssible, as surface water quality may be suspect Lcate a surce that is: At a minimum 30 m upstream and away frm camp Nt within an active drilling area Nt within 30 m f a septic, tile field, lagn r cesspl Nt within 30 m f a fuel r waste il strage area Nt within 100 m f a landfill r dumpsite Obtain guidance frm a lcal department f health n water sampling and testing prtcls, as they can vary with lcatin Cnduct inrganic/rganic water sampling befrehand, using either trained persnnel r a qualified service cmpany Where a water treatment plant is required by legislatin, r by the size f the camp: Estimate water requirements befre the prgram cmmences Obtain water extractin and treatment permits where required Ensure that suitably trained individuals perate the plant, in accrdance with the manufacturer s instructins When cnstructing a large camp, cnduct grundwater pump testing and a rising head test (als knwn as an airlift test in the U.S.) prir t extractin f water, t ensure a perennial supply that meets present and future requirements. As a guideline, use 160 L per persn per day. Als: Ensure that water supply pumps and pipelines are installed in cnsultatin with the wner/ccupier f the land cncerned, and in such a manner that vegetatin and sil is nt unduly disturbed Select, at a minimum, 50 mm plypipe fr the water supply feedline. If in dubt, cnsult engineering criteria Fr large camp peratins, select cvered fibreglass r cncrete water strage tanks, and include a secure lck Fr small camps, stre water in dark, cl, insect-prf and animal-prf cntainers Make prvisin fr inline micrbilgical water quality treatment, selecting either: Chlrinatin (use chlrinatin systems nly where Ttal Disslved Slids (TDS) and Ttal Suspended Slids (TSS) are unfiltered) Reverse smsis (RO) Ultravilet (UV) In cases when ptable water is acquired ff-site: Prir t purchase, inspect and research trucked-in, piped-in water supply surces and ice supply surces, fr quality cntrl and quality assurance On a regular basis, analyze fr micrbilgical cntaminatin Page 125 f 297

3 Fr all water supply surces: Ensure that water supplies are regularly and effectively tested and the results recrded, in accrdance with the apprpriate regulatins Ensure that water analyses that are "ut f cmpliance" are reprted t senir management immediately, and suitable remediatin is undertaken as sn as pssible t rectify the prblem In an emergency when suspect water must be used, bring the suspect water t a rlling bil and cntinue biling fr at least 10 minutes befre use. If the suspect water cannt be biled: Use persnal water filter systems, such as the Katadyn Cmbi Filter r the MSR Waterwrks Filter Use persnal water purificatin tablets, such as Pristine r Katadyn Use bttled water when ther ptins are unsuitable. 9.5 Nn-Ptable Water: Lcatin, Design, and Extractin Nn-ptable water is ften used in activities such as hydraulic stripping, drilling and small-scale heavy mineral separatin. In chsing a water surce: Identify several pssible water surces that can meet peak water requirements during perids f minimal surface precipitatin Extract water frm nn-ptable surces, except where ptable surces are plentiful and perennial Cnsider cnverting drill hles t water wells, subject t the acceptability f parameters such as water quality, aquifer water depths, and hle stability Select a surce that is clse at hand and has gd all-weather, year-rund, envirnmentfriendly access Ensure that fr trucked-in water, the water des nt cntain any nn-indigenus aquatic plant r animal species, and the water quality is in cmpliance with regulatins Fr water extractin and strage: Obtain water extractin permits where required Install water supply pumps and pipelines in cnsultatin with the wner/ccupier f the land cncerned, and in such a manner that vegetatin and sil is nt unduly disturbed Design water tanks, reservirs and dams with capacity t meet peak demands Lcate water supply pumps abve the high-water line f any watercurse r water bdy Ensure that the water pump and fuel supply is: Adequately bermed t prevent fuel spills int the watercurse On a slid fting Prtected with hydrcarbn absrbent pads Als, ensure that the water pump mtr exhaust system des nt cme in cntact with any flammable material. Page 126 f 297

4 9.6 Water Discharge T minimize envirnmental impact: Ensure that drill cuttings/sludge, material frm hydraulic stripping, and the discharge frm any de-watering peratin des nt enter any water surce r flw uncntrlled, thrugh the use f: Filtratin cntrl devices Settling pnds Straw r peat bales Getextiles r ther devices Prvide an adequate clsed circuit facility fr drilling mud and flcculating agents, which may include: A settling pl r sump lcated a shrt distance dwnslpe frm the drill A series f settling tanks adjacent t the drill A drill cuttings/water filter In a timely manner, bury in-situ all material depsited int a sump, unless the material is knwn t be harmful t flra, fauna, and grundwater r surface waters. In this case the material shuld be remved and placed in an apprved landfill. Ensure that, in freezing cnditins, discharged water des nt build up as a frzen delta that can subsequently flw as an ice tngue dwnslpe int any bdy f water. 9.7 Artesian Water Artesian water encuntered in drilling r excavating activities must be cntrlled in rder t prevent wasting, water and crss-cntaminatin between aquifers. In sme jurisdictins, all drill hles must be gruted and sealed t prevent the pssibility f creating an artesian drill hle. Drill hles that encunter artesian water must be plugged and sealed in accrdance with lcal regulatins r requirements, unless written authrizatin t d therwise is btained frm regulatry authrities r the landwner. Nte hwever that, in sme areas f the wrld, a drill hle "making water" can be an extremely valuable resurce if the water is shwn t be ptable 9.8 Cnservatin T cnserve water: Ensure prudent use in all activities Install and use shut-ff valves when water supply lines are nt in use Recirculate nn-ptable water whenever pssible Cntrl artesian water flw Ensure that all temprary water cntrl and cntainment structures are remved upn prject abandnment, and the site is restred t its riginal state as per permit requirements, unless written authrizatin t d therwise is btained frm regulatry authrities r the landwner Page 127 f 297

5 9.9 Prtectin T prtect water frm pllutin: Minimize activities in and arund watercurses, bdies f water, wetlands, snw, and ice Dispse f trash, refuse, waste r hazardus material well away frm any water r, when necessary, in an apprved waste dispsal site Dispse f wastewater frm camps in sak pits, a septic pit r septic tank, r ther grey water discharge system Exercise extreme care when refuelling mtrs and transferring fuels r ther petrleum prducts Stre, transprt, and handle hazardus substances, as per regulatins Ensure that spill and emergency planning and respnse prcedures are in place Page 128 f 297