7 Strategies Creating More Resilient Mine Dewatering
Mining and water are synonymous, though it's not always a constructive relationship. Water helps reduce dust, cool and wash equipment, and assist in transporting and filtering material dug up from pits and tunnels.
Water's destructive risks
However, water is also a destructive presence. Mining activities release groundwater trapped among the soil and rocks. Water on the surface naturally flows towards the depressions created by digging, becoming very critical during heavy rainfall or flooding events. Dewatering is the main method to manage such risks.
A dewatering failure can have catastrophic consequences. At the start of 2025, the Kombat copper mine in Namibia had to halt operations when both its permanent dewatering pumps failed, causing wide-scale flooding.