Treated to your discharge permit
Containerised or fixed plant
Treatment, desludging and plant servicing
Water quality records supplied
Treating mine water to your discharge permit, on your deadline.
Eureka Water & Filtration is a Townsville-based mine water management and treatment company working across North Queensland and Australia-wide. We treat pit, dam, tank and tailings water so it can be discharged, reused or stored within your environmental authority conditions. We also clear and dewater sludge, supply filter cloths for tailings and process filtration, and service existing treatment plants. The treatment method is matched to your water, from chemical treatment and filtration through to ion exchange and reverse osmosis.
Mine water management: problems we solve
Most jobs start with one of these. Treatment is only part of it: we also clear the sludge and keep your treatment plant running. For camp drinking water and emergency supply, see Mining & Resources.
Pit and tank drawdown before the wet
High-volume treatment so storage is free when the rain arrives.
Release limits you cannot meet
Treated to your permit for metals, salts, nitrate or single contaminants like molybdenum.
Tailings, closure and legacy water
Treated for return, reuse or release under tight permit conditions.
Sludge filling ponds and dams
Desludged to restore capacity, then dewatered for disposal.
Tailings that will not dewater
Filter cloths, bags and parts for presses, disc and drum filters.
An underperforming plant
Servicing and repairs on existing plants, including other suppliers’.
Mine water treatment, matched to your water
Not every mine water needs every stage. Many only need chemical treatment and filtration. Ion exchange or reverse osmosis is added when dissolved metals, nitrate or salts have to come out.
1. Chemical treatment
Coagulation, flocculation, settling and pH correction to drop out solids and many metals.
2. Filtration
Media, cartridge and ultrafiltration to remove fine solids and protect equipment downstream.
3. Ion exchange
Targets specific metals, nitrate or other ions, on its own or after RO. Ion exchange
4. Reverse osmosis
Removes dissolved salts when salinity is the problem, with EDI polishing where very high purity is needed. RO systems
What we treat
Mine water rarely has just one problem. This shows which treatment stage handles each of the parameters we most often treat.
| What is in the water | Chemical treatment | Filtration | Ion exchange | Reverse osmosis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salinity (EC and TDS) | ✓ | |||
| Sulphate | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Metals such as molybdenum, copper, zinc, manganese and iron | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Nitrate and ammonia | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Suspended solids and turbidity | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Acidic or alkaline water (pH) | ✓ |
The right combination depends on your water analysis and permit limits. Release limits often draw on the Australian and New Zealand water quality guidelines.
Hire, buy or have us run it
Choose the arrangement that suits the job, the timeframe and your budget.
Hire
Our containerised Mobile Pure Water unit treats over 1 ML/d and arrives pre-commissioned from Townsville. Suits drawdowns, emergencies and short-term duties.
Buy
A fixed or skid-mounted plant designed and sized to your water and duty, for long-term treatment.
Operated by Eureka
Our operators run the plant and record output quality for your compliance file, so your team can stay on production.
How a job starts
Send us your water details
A recent water analysis, your release limits, the volume to treat and your deadline.
We recommend a treatment
An obligation-free analysis and recommendation, usually back the same business day.
We mobilise
Inductions, SWMS and permits completed, then equipment delivered and set up on site.
Also useful: where the water sits (pit, dam, tank or TSF), power available on site, and access, induction and accommodation requirements. Gaps are fine, as we can sample and test the water for you.
Compliance and reporting
Sampling and analysis against your environmental authority conditions
Output quality tested throughout treatment
Treatment and discharge records for your environmental reporting
Site-specific SWMS, inductions and permits completed before mobilising
Proven on site
Case study
Rapid drawdown and heavy metal removal
RO with ion exchange treated contaminated water from a 12.8 ML storage tank, bringing molybdenum within discharge permit limits.
31 dayscompleted
12.8 MLtreated
Withinpermit limits
Mine power station
Standby ion exchange vessels supplied demineralised water to prevent downtime.
Townsville and Clermont
Desludging and dewatering, plus water treatment plant servicing.
Mount Isa
Reverse osmosis, demineralisation and water efficiency consulting.
Mine water treatment FAQs
How is mine water treated before discharge?
It depends on what is in the water. Solids and many metals can often be removed with chemical treatment, settling and filtration. Ion exchange targets specific metals or nitrate, and reverse osmosis is added when dissolved salts have to come out. We choose the stages from your water analysis and permit limits.
What happens to the brine from reverse osmosis?
Only jobs that use reverse osmosis produce brine. RO splits mine water into two streams: clean water, which is the larger stream, and a smaller, saltier stream called brine or reject. Depending on your site and environmental authority, the brine can go to a lined storage or tailings dam, be blended within your release limits, be concentrated further to cut the volume, or be trucked off site for licensed disposal. We can plan this with you before treatment starts.
Can you remove molybdenum and heavy metals from mine water?
Yes. We combine reverse osmosis with selective ion exchange. On a recent project this brought molybdenum within permit limits across 12.8 ML in 31 days.
How quickly can treatment start on a mine site?
Our containerised unit is pre-commissioned in Townsville, so the main lead time is water testing and configuration. Our team already holds inductions for many mine sites. Where we are not yet inducted, site inductions are completed before we mobilise.
Do you provide water quality records for our environmental reporting?
Yes. Output quality is tested throughout, and results and treatment records are supplied for your compliance file.
Do you work on mine sites outside Queensland?
Yes. We mobilise our team and containerised equipment from Townsville to sites across Australia.
Facing a mine water deadline?
Whether it is a wet season deadline, a discharge limit or a closure obligation, send us your water analysis and we will scope it.