OVERVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF MINING ON THE ... - IIED pubs

The following activities can be expected to have an impact on water resources in the Wilge sub-catchment:
• Landfills and solid waste disposal sites at all towns;
• Disposal of liquid (domestic and light industrial) effluent at all towns;
• Disposal or seepage of high salinity power station cooling water;
• Moderate volumes of runoff from towns, as well as all other urbanized areas;
• Non-point domestic effluent from numerous small settlements and farms;
• Minor non-point impact from non-intensive commercial or subsistence agriculture;
• Minor non-point impact of agricultural return flows from intensive irrigation areas; and
• Litter and domestic garbage discarded alongside the many roads and highways that traverse the subcatchment.
5.2.2 Mining and mineral processing operations
The following mining operations are of interest in the Wilge sub-catchment (Figures 4.2 and 4.3; Table 5.3).
Table 5.3: Mining operations in the Wilge sub-catchment.
Code
Number
Name of Mine
Commodity (ies)
Mined
ccxciv
Status
Relative
Size
Probable
Impact
C7-19 Marble Hall Limestone / Dolomite Operating Medium Low
D7-2 Pienarsrivier Limestone / Dolomite Operating Small Very low
D7-4 Vergenoeg Fluorspar Operating Large Low – Medium
D7-6 Nooitgedacht Clay minerals Operating Large Low
D7-8 Cullinan Clay minerals Operating Large Low
D7-10 Belfast Clay minerals Operating Small Very low
D7-11 Rietfontein Clay minerals Operating Small Very low
D7-39 Enkeldoring Gold Closed Small Very low
5.2.3 Alluvial mining
None known or anticipated.
5.2.4 Monitoring systems
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) regularly monitor flows and water quality at the
Bronkhorstspruit Dam, as well as two other sites further downstream. In addition, DWAF also regulate the
quantity and quality of all effluent discharges through a system of effluent discharge permits or licences. Each
licensed effluent discharger is required to carry out a routine monitoring programme of the flow and quality of
their effluent and supply this to DWAF. The Department then conducts a randomised series of audit samples to
check the veracity of the effluent returns submitted by each discharger.