Expert Roundtable: Water management in the mining sector in South Africa - Harnessing mine impacted water for water supply.

To sustain economic growth and in bracing for the impacts of climate change, South Africa’s government must secure water for a growing population and food production. Using mine impacted water for augmenting water supply, be it for public potable water supply or for irrigation is a critical aspect of building resilience to climate change and growing water demand in South Africa.

On 21. May 2025, the expert round table “Water management in the mining sector in South Africa - Harnessing mine impacted water for water supply” saw experts from South Africa and Germany engaging on the potential of mine-impacted water as a viable water source in South Africa. Key stakeholders, including the Department of Water and Sanitation, Coaltech, Dornier Group, and MSA Mining Consulting, discussed regulatory frameworks, innovative treatment technologies, and institutional challenges. The session emphasised the importance of scaling solutions—from advanced membranes to nature-based approaches—and addressed barriers to integrating treated mine water into public supply systems. Experts stressed the urgency of overcoming policy, funding, and public perception issues to harness this underutilised resource for long-term water security, especially in a water-scarce, mining-intensive context. While South Africa is already utilising mine impacted water, there is much more to be done to contribute meaningfully to the water supply mix in the country.

We asked the audience at our webinar whether they would drink treated mine impacted water. Surprisingly, 68% of the respondents answered that they would indeed drink the water, 19% that they would not and 12% answered with maybe. The second question requested the audience to write what would convince them, or what they think would convince others to drink treated, mine impacted water. The word cloud reveals a strong emphasis on trust, certification, and safety standards as key factors influencing acceptance of treated mine impacted water for consumption. Terms like "purified," "tested," "SABS approved," "treated," and "safe" were most prominent, highlighting the importance of scientific validation and regulatory endorsement. References to WHO standards, SANS 241, and Reverse Osmosis indicate that technical clarity and quality assurance are crucial. Audience sentiment shows that clear communication of safety, backed by independent certification, is essential for public confidence in potable reuse.

The speakers

Moderation:

Vera Massie, Water Portfolio Manager at the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAGCC)

Welcome:

Georg Schmidt, Senior Ministerial Advisor of Bavaria’s Ministry of Economic Affairs

Presentation on regulatory framework for the management of mine impacted water for reuse:

Raquel Nomathemba Mazwi, Director of Mining and Industrial Water Quality Regulation at the Department of Water and Sanitation in Pretoria.

Contribution by Coaltech on research pertaining to mine impacted water reuse, concrete examples of reuse that is already happening and challenges that mining companies face:

Avhurengwi Nengovhela. CEO of Coaltech

Presentation on innovative technology for Eutectic Freeze Crystallization for the treatment of mine impacted water and extraction of resources:

José Gomes is the Head of Corporate Development at Dornier Group GmbH

Synthesising the panel discussion and discussion on the way forward:

Richard Garner, Head of Department: Environmental Services, MSA Mining Consulting South Africa Pty (Ltd).

This webinar is the last in a series of four events, leading up to the IFAT Africa taking place in Johannesburg in July 2025. This webinar series is brought to you by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Bavarian Representative Office in South Africa, in cooperation with the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Consumer Protection and the Water Technology Transfer Network. A Bavarian delegation of companies from the water sector, led by Vice Minister Tobias Gotthard, will visit South Africa this July on the occasion of IFAT Africa.