This year, Newmont Africa’s Akyem operation opened its first primary reverse osmosis water treatment plant, which was designed to mitigate the risk of impacted mine water and ensure that effluent water quality is compliant with the requirements of Ghana’s Water Resources Commission.
“At Newmont, we believe that access to clean, safe water is a human right, and reliable water supplies are vital for hygiene, sanitation, livelihoods and the health of the environment. Our Global Water Strategy guides our efforts to use water more efficiently at our operations and to support collective actions that improve water quality and quantity.”
Akyem’s water management strategy was implemented in 2018, initially separating impacted water into a special-purpose pond for treatment. This paved the way for the construction of the 75 liters per second treatment plant, which has treated and discharged over 1 million m3 (264,172,052 gallons) of clean water back into the environment since its inception.
On the strength of the water treatment plant, Akyem can fully control the water treatment process, reduce operating costs and help to meet long-term water sustainability goals. The plant also enables the Akyem operation to serve as a responsible business partner in the community, for our stakeholders and on the land where we will continue to operate for years to come.
