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The True Cost of Groundwater

Author(s): 
Todd Hamilton
Date: 
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
First presented: 
PDAC 2016
Type: 
Presentation
Category: 
Water Management

Mining throughout the world has entered a new phase.  Larger mines, higher production rates and mining significantly below the water table have dramatically increased the importance of groundwater management.  Deposits once passed over due to groundwater concerns are now being brought into production.  Coupled with this are increased competition for groundwater resources in arid regions, growing environmental and social concerns and increasingly stringent regulatory requirements. This presentation looks at the roles groundwater plays in a mining operation and presents the various ways in which it can affect the economics, both readily apparent and hidden.

Feature Author

Todd Hamilton

Todd has  30 years of globally-based hydrogeological and geological experience in consulting and industry. He specializes in hydrogeological site characterization and developing water management solutions for the mining industry, with a focus on assessing the hydraulic characteristics of rock and soil.

Previously based in South America, Australia and Africa, Todd has located groundwater supplies and designed, implemented and optimized dewatering and depressurization systems for mines in a wide variety of environments. He is also experienced in the delineation and remediation of groundwater contamination, and in the design of—and impact prediction for—subsurface wastewater and surplus disposal systems.  He has a strong background in field investigation as well as climatic water balance and numerical groundwater modelling.  Todd has considerable project management experience and co-founded a successful groundwater consulting company in Latin America.  He is fluent in Spanish.

Hydrogeology Specialist
MAppSc, PGeo
SRK Toronto
SRK Kazakhstan