The capital and operating costs of mine dewatering can be appear negligible when combined with the overall project economics of the feasibility study (FS). However, groundwater issues can quickly become relevant, particularly in difficult permitting arenas where stakeholders are experienced and bound by thoughtfully crafted regulations. This case study highlights the need for early characterization of groundwater quality and quantity due to the impact these factors had on the technical economic model (TEM) for the project. Specifically, projected dewatering rates and poor groundwater quality resulted in high capital costs. Fortunately these items were identified and characterized relatively early in the project life cycle, allowing proper analysis of the data and collection of confirmatory information to keep the FS on track.
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