7. Extracting value from mine water

Before I discuss extraction of value from the mine water, let me clarify that it is beyond doubt that water is everybody's concern; it is apparent that water in general or water from mine (s) should not be wasted and has to be properly utilized as well as conserved. Different aspects of water utilization and conservation are commonly dealt in books, but how to earn or extract value from water is dealt very sparingly.

This idea is purported in my mind from the International Mine Water Association (IMWA) annual conference held in Leipzig, Germany, in 2016 wherein special attention is given on the topic of "extracting value from mine water" and lectures were invited from world over. It is understood that it will be a rare situation in which extracted values can pay for all of the costs of water treatment; however, it would be good to extract value from the mine water and this can partially defray the costs of water treatment and both short-term and long-term gain can be made.

Nearly all mines whether surface or underground are situated in far-flung plain areas or hilly areas with single-layer and multiple-layer aquifers. These, surface mine pits, operational or mined-out pit, from where minerals are extracted, contain huge quantity of mine water (Table 6 column 4). The extraction of value from the water of mine can be done by the following uses:

