Mining Wetlands | Reuse of mineral processing water

This structure, for treating mineral processing wastewater, is part of a complex of wetland systems for the complete management of mining-influenced waters. The objective of this system is to remove process reagents and metals to guarantee 100% recirculation standards for treated effluents.

Unlike wetland systems for treating organic effluents, wetlands for treating inorganic mining wastewater have a completely customized bed arrangement and composition conditioned by the geochemical signature of the waters to be treated. In this type of system, it is common to use reactive media and organic components in bed stratification. Another highlight of this project typology is the use of shallow surface wetlands as aerobic treatment zones, unconventional for treating sanitary effluents, for example.

To guarantee safety, predictability, and operational control of the wetlands, a sophisticated instrumentation system was implemented, consisting of multiparameter probes installed throughout the system, and flow meters at the inlet and outlet, with real-time online data generation.

The company Wetlands Construídos was responsible for the complete engineering (from pilot-scale tests, through conceptual design to detailed design of all disciplines), the Technical Monitoring of the Works, and the Assisted Operation with the end client.