A large-scale open-pit copper mine in Southern Europe consumed over 4,000 m³/day of freshwater for ore processing, dust suppression and flotation circuits. Local regulators imposed strict new discharge limits on heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb) and suspended solids, while drought conditions made freshwater allocation increasingly uncertain and expensive.
RIEFILT engineered a closed-loop mine water treatment system under a 10-year BOOT contract. The multi-stage system combines chemical precipitation, lamella clarification, sand filtration and selective ion exchange to remove heavy metals to sub-ppb levels while recovering process water for reuse.
Freshwater intake dropped by 90%, saving the mine approximately €1.8 M annually in water procurement and discharge fees. The system achieved full compliance with EU Water Framework Directive limits within 30 days of commissioning. Recovered copper concentrate from the sludge generates an additional €95,000/year in by-product revenue.
Mining operations face unique water challenges: extreme variability in flow and composition, heavy metal contamination, acid mine drainage, and remote locations with limited infrastructure. RIEFILT's BOOT model is ideally suited because it transfers all technology risk to the operator while providing guaranteed discharge quality.
The system is designed for harsh environments with redundant pumps, corrosion-resistant materials, and remote monitoring via RIEFILT Cloud — enabling 24/7 oversight from RIEFILT's operations center.
