Background
A remote mining project required a wastewater treatment plant capable of producing high‑quality treated effluent. The client previously relied on basic pond systems, which could not achieve the effluent quality needed for reuse.
Diminishing bore reserves also meant the site had no reliable water source for its gold elutions process. This created significant operational challenges including increased costs, schedule delays, and negative sustainability impacts due to ongoing reliance on water carting. The client designated the project as essential for achieving strategic objectives.
Solution
MAK Water partnered closely with the client to develop a smart, future‑focused water treatment solution. Our experts selected a membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology that met strict treated effluent requirements, enabling safe and reliable water reuse.
Our team conducted detailed consultations and value engineering to ensure full compliance with site and company specifications whilst remaining mindful of cost impact. The system was designed with redundancy to maximise reliability, supported by remote access capability for fast and efficient technical support.
MAK Water Key Solutions
- MBR 200 m³/day capacity
- Duty / standby configuration for all mechanical equipment
- Dewatering Screw Press (DSP) to significantly reduce cartage of sludge off site.
Results and benefits
- Sustainability. High‑quality treated effluent enables onsite reuse, significantly improving water security, reducing environmental impact and carbon footprint by not trucking.
- Cost savings. Eliminates the need for water and sludge carting, reducing operational expenditure.
- Reliability. Redundant design ensures consistent water availability for processing with minimal downtime.
- Proven performance. MBR technology delivers dependable sewage treatment performance for mining operations.
- Remote support. Remote access functionality allows for rapid troubleshooting, improving uptime and efficiency.
- Ongoing support. Service agreement supports client operations
Up next
Related projects
A contractor on behalf of a Queensland coal mine, required urgent support to ensure continued operation of the Water Treatment Plant (WTP). The client sought experienced operators who could be inducted and deployed within a short timeframe to prevent potential downtime and the risk of non-compliant water discharge. With a turnaround requirement of 30 days, MAK Water was engaged to provide the necessary workforce and expertise to maintain operations of the WTP.
Blackwater, Queensland
A large mining company operating in a remote location with no existing sewage or wastewater infrastructure needed a fit for purpose treatment system. Due to the remoteness of the site and the challenges posed by seasonal heavy rainfall, constructing an in-situ plant was not feasible. Additionally, access roads in and out of the site are subject to flooding, so the plant required a robust, reliable design that minimised waste streams for off-site disposal.
New South Wales
One of the large global mining and processing companies was developing a new mine to extend the life of their Weipa bauxite operations by a planned four decades. MAK Water was engaged by the global Engineering, Construction, and Project Management Company (EPCM) contractor to design and construct the sewage treatment plant for the mine infrastructure area (MIA). The plant was constructed according to project engineering and design specifications, using project preferred electrical equipment, and supplied with site specific vendor drawing and data package. MAK Water provided site installation support and commissioning of the plant.
Queensland
The Bozshakol Copper Project, owned and operated by KAZ Minerals (formerly Kazakhmys), is the largest single copper mine development in Kazakhstan, and one of the largest undeveloped copper deposits in the world. A leading Australian engineering firm was engaged to provide detailed design and procurement services for the copper sulphide processing plant and associated facilities, which included process water and potable water treatment plants. MAK Water was selected thanks to our innovative containerised design, extensive experience in delivering high quality packaged water treatment plants for remote mining projects, and our ability to customise our solution to meet the project requirements.
Kazakhstan
MAK Water worked cooperatively with the client’s engineering consultant throughout the scoping and feasibility study phases and was awarded the contract to supply the potable water and sewage treatment plants for the accommodation camp and the process plant.
Laverton, Western Australia
A coal mining operation required a new water treatment solution to replace an ageing plant used for process water. The system needed to comply with stringent coal mining specifications, including HAZOP standards. The project included two sites with requirements of 30m³/day and 300m³/day.
Queensland
