Acid mine drainage is Gauteng’s most persistent water problem. The Witwatersrand basins decant continuously, the affected water is acidic and metal-laden, and conventional treatment means neutralisation plants with capital and operating costs that few sites can carry alone.
The result is that a great deal of AMD is monitored rather than treated.
A different starting point
Conventional AMD treatment is a chemical process — neutralise, precipitate, remove, dispose. Bioremediation approaches the water column biologically instead, working with the conditions present rather than reversing them chemically.
We are deliberately careful here. AMD chemistry varies enormously between sites: pH, sulphate load, metal speciation and flow all differ. We will not quote a treatment approach for AMD without seeing the water analysis first.
Who this is for
- Mining operations with active decant or affected surface water
- Rehabilitation and closure projects carrying long-term water liabilities
- Landowners and agricultural operations downstream of affected catchments
- Environmental consultancies scoping treatment options for clients
The honest position
AMD is the hardest problem on this site. If your analysis suggests bioremediation is not the right answer, we will tell you that and point you toward what is.
Tell us what you are dealing with
Send us your analysis, or just describe the problem. We will tell you honestly whether bioremediation is the right answer for your site — and if it is not, we will say so.