“..in the light of the continuing pollution of one of our country’s major river systems and one of our countries largest aquifers, and given the inadequacy of the current treatment plant, it does notmake any sense that several new opencast mine pits could have been authorised right on top of the recharge zone of the Western Basin Mine Void”.
The FSE commissioned an analysis of water quality and an expert report by Africa Enviornmental Development. The full report and results may be downloaded.
No 18 Winze shaft is one of a group of shafts and boreholes locating at the lowest topographical area of the original Randfontein Estates Gold Mining (Witwatersrand) Co Ltd (hereafter referred to as REGM) northern operations. Since pumping operations were stopped and the mine void has filled up, acid mine drainage (AMD) water has been draining from these shafts and boreholes in the general vicinity of no 18 Winze #. Currently this AMD is flowing via the Tweelopiespruit to the north,through the Krugersdorp Game Reserve and into the Rietspruit, a tributary of the Bloubankspruit, which, in turn, is a tributary of the Crocodile River.
The sample results were compared with the South African National Standard, SANS 241:2011 – Edition 1.0. SANS 241 is the official South Africandrinking water standard. The 2006 version of this standard provided 2 levels of quality, Recommended (Class I) and Maximum Allowable for a limited period (Class II).