Project Specifics

A copper and nickel mine in Ontario, Canada, plans to expand operations and needed to confirm that their water treatment and maintenance methods would adhere to local and federal standards with the upcoming expansion. The water management infrastructure includes a 62-square-kilometer catchment where operating process water and surface water that was treated in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is held before being discharged into the environment. This central area water management system is susceptible to being overloaded during periods of high precipitation or runoff. Because the mining operation expansion is expected to increase water discharges, the WWTP susceptibility to hydraulic overload could increase, particularly during periods of heavy runoff. The expansions in mining operations are also expected to require additional water storage and treatment.

Geosyntec Scope of Services

Geosyntec was retained to develop a GoldSim-based model for water balance and water quality for the mine site that would evaluate project water outflows and assess the impacts of additional water use on infrastructure components. The model simulated changes in water balance and quality across the site under three scenarios: existing conditions, a 10-year future expansion, and mine closure. The model used inputs, such as rainfall, snowmelt, and process water, and routed them through discharge structures, downstream reservoirs, and wastewater treatment facilities. Results supported decision-making regarding necessary infrastructure upgrades.

In addition, our team addressed the impact of future climate change in two phases. Initially, a baseline water balance was established using historical climate and site-specific operational data. Subsequently, projections from global climate models were applied to simulate water balance conditions for the 10-year future and mine closure scenarios. The model results helped with short-term planning (e.g., optimizing pond storage for snowmelt, assessing heavy rainfall impacts) and long-term planning (e.g., storm impacts on mine infrastructure).

The simulation results identified potential vulnerabilities in the water management infrastructure where environmental overflows could occur during extreme storms. The model was used to test the effectiveness of proposed infrastructure upgrades, and the outcomes informed the design of selected improvements. Additionally, the model featured a flexible, user-friendly dashboard interface that allowed users to adjust climate inputs, reservoir capacities, and outflows to support day-to-day operational decision-making.

Notable Accomplishments

Geosyntec’s work on this project informed the future operating and maintenance practices of the copper and nickel mine and promoted environmental resilience.

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