Friday, July 23, 2010

Waste From Mines - A call for urgent Action

This Engineering News article informs us "Millions of litres of highly acidic mine water is rising up under Johannesburg and, if left unchecked, could spill out into its streets some 18 months from now, Parliament's water affairs portfolio committee heard on Wednesday.

The acid water is currently about 600 metres below the city's surface, but is rising at a rate of between 0,6 and 0,9 metres a day, water affairs deputy director water quality management Marius Keet told MPs.

"[It] can have catastrophic consequences for the Johannesburg central business district if not stopped in time. A new pumping station and upgrades to the high-density sludge treatment works are urgently required to stop disaster," he warned."

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