Mines require resilient dewatering systems to prevent failures of such mission critical equipment, says water technology company Xylem Africa strategy and marketing manager Chetan Mistry.

Dewatering failures can result in wide-scale flooding of mine sites along with prolonged operational disruption resulting in a need for drainage, damage assessments and equipment recovery, as well as ensuring worker safety during such incidents.

However, modern resilient dewatering systems reduce these risks while also reducing pressure on the maintenance and man- agement of dewatering systems.

Mining activities often release groundwater, which naturally flows into depressions created by excavation. This becomes critical during heavy rainfall or flooding, with dewatering remaining the primary method for managing such water accumulation, he explains.

In this regard, independent insurance brokerage Lockton’s ‘2025 Mining Insurance Market Report’ reveals that extreme and unpredictable weather events are becoming the primary disruptor of mining operations.

Therefore, Mistry says mines must re-evaluate their dewatering strategies to anticipate fast-changing and unpredictable weather conditions.

Pumps often handle liquids containing debris, ranging from microscopic particles to visible matter, chemicals and other abrasive materials.

Large debris can damage and ensnare impellers, while fine particles can increase liquid viscosity, creating difficult-to-pump slurries.

To mitigate these challenges, Mistry stresses the need for pumps tailored to specific dewatering scenarios at mine sites and to select the appropriate maintenance profile of commissioned equipment.

He notes that modern dewatering pumps mitigate these challenges through features such as seal failure safeguards, no-clog impellers, dry priming capabilities, variable motor speeds and high-quality strainers.

Resilient Measures
To derisk dewatering, Mistry recommends that mining operations adopt novel technologies and strategies, ranging from different types of pumps to leveraging data for predictive maintenance of dewatering equipment.

He says portable pumps can be a means to address acute and unexpected pooling of mine water.

Such products vary in size and applicability, from large pumps mounted on trailer beds, to submersible dewatering pumps that can be transported on the back of a vehicle and moved without much difficulty.

However, as emergency flooding and dewatering situations can vary at a mine site, Mistry says the choice of dewatering solutions employed depends on the predictability of such risks.

Mining operations that have a high likelihood of water seeping into shafts, or which are located in regions that experience heavy rainfall or are flood-prone, can benefit from a tailored permanently installed dewatering system.

“A mine would create a dewatering system that fits its geography, weather and costs. The mine can then augment with portable systems that it can move to specific areas,” says Mistry.