Water
Rio Tinto Coal Australia's operations primarily use water for coal processing, dust suppression and truck washing. Drought conditions and resulting water shortages are a significant issue in many of the communities where we operate. Water shortages also pose a potential risk to production at our own operations.
We value water as a precious resource and are committed to responsibly managing the water that is collected on, and discharged from, our sites.
Our approach
On site, water is segregated into different qualities to enable greater water recycling and minimise the contamination of water. Runoff from undisturbed catchments is diverted around mining areas and back into natural watercourses wherever practicable. In pit water captured on the mine site is recycled and used in preference to freshwater wherever practicable.
Excess mine water that meets specific water quality criteria is discharged to the environment from our operations in accordance with our environmental approvals.
Our approach to water management also includes:
- Having management programmes in place at each site designed to improve our water efficiency and therefore reducing our water consumption
- Ensuring water that is returned back to the environment meets specific water quality limits
- Ensuring water management plans form part of each mine's Environmental Management System which is certified to the ISO4001 international standard
- Setting targets to reduce the amount of freshwater used to produce a tonne of product coal
- Ensuring we fully meet the legal requirements of our environmental approvals and water licences.
In addition to these legal responsibilities our operations are required to meet the additional requirements of Rio Tinto's own water standard.
Results
Read our 2007 water use results.
Read Blair Athol Mine's results
Read Kestrel Mine's results
Read Hail Creek Mine's results
