Michael Barrett Speaks at Mine Water Solutions 2022 on Hydrometric Monitoring and Effluent Discharge Mixing
Michael Barrett Speaks at Mine Water Solutions 2022 on Hydrometric Monitoring and Effluent Discharge Mixing

Michael Barrett Speaks at Mine Water Solutions 2022 on Hydrometric Monitoring and Effluent Discharge Mixing

June 24, 2022, Vancouver, BC, Canada – At the Mine Water Solutions 2022 conference, Michael Barrett, a project engineer at Knight Piésold Canada, spoke about the hydrometric monitoring network and treated effluent discharge and mixing systems that Knight Piésold designed for the Rainy River Mine (RRM) in northwest Ontario. The conference was held with the theme “Water – Managing for the Future” on June 14–16, 2022 at the Parq Hotel in Vancouver and online.

Barrett delivered a presentation on the paper “Hydrometric Monitoring and Effluent Discharge Mixing in Challenging Natural Conditions” during the mine water management session. The paper was co-authored by Jaime Villaamil and Dr. Violeta Martin of Knight Piésold and Sitotaw Yirdaw, Travis Pastachak, and Garnet Cornell of New Gold Inc. It detailed two systems that were developed for RRM, a gold/silver mine owned by New Gold Inc., to obtain high-quality, real-time discharge measurements and to discharge and mix treated effluent in Pinewood River, enabling RRM to comply with its Environmental Compliance Approval and Permit.

Hydrometric data collection at Pinewood River was frequently affected by backwatering from downstream obstructions and beaver activity that resulted in periods of poor-quality discharge data. The hydrometric monitoring network was upgraded and expanded to improve the quality of data collection that is required for effluent discharge from the mine to Pinewood River.

The treated effluent to be discharged to Pinewood River must meet strict mixing and water quality standards. The passive discharge of treated effluent to Pinewood River, a low velocity receiving environment, may not achieve full mixing without additional measures to promote dilution, so an effluent discharge system using check valve diffusers was designed and constructed. Real-time data from the hydrometric monitoring network is used to inform the effluent discharge strategy on a daily basis.

“Together with RRM and other contributors, we had a remarkable opportunity to design an alternative flow measurement approach while working with complex natural conditions at Pinewood River,” said Barrett. “We continue to support clients with developing water management strategies to enable sustainable mining in challenging environments.”

Recent News

February 15, 2023
Knight Piésold Canada Named Among British Columbia's Top Employers for Eleventh Year
February 13, 2023
Jeremy Haile Receives Canadian Consulting Engineer's Lifetime Achievement Award
November 24, 2022
Knight Piésold has Strong Presence at Tailings and Mine Waste 2022
November 07, 2022
Dr. Violeta Martin and Nick Rong Contribute to Dam Safety Technical Learning with the Canadian Dam Association Community
November 02, 2022
Knight Piésold Canada's Dr. Salina Yong and Daniel Yang Present a Case Study with KGHM on Managing Excessive Pit Wall Deformation at Slope Stability 2022
October 07, 2022
Knight Piésold Chile Receives "40-hour Seal" Certification
September 20, 2022
Kevin Davenport Presents Case Study on Observed Block Cave Subsidence Progression at Caving 2022
July 28, 2022
Knight Piésold Specialists Lend Expertise at HYDROVISION International 2022
July 18, 2022
Knight Piésold Argentina Certified as a Sustainable Company by the Municipality of Godoy Cruz
June 20, 2022
Dr. Violeta Martin Presents Tailings Dam Breach Inundation Modelling at the ICOLD 2022 Congress
June 16, 2022
Dr. Colin Fyfe Joins Knight Piésold Canada as Specialist Hydrogeological Engineer
February 09, 2022
Knight Piésold Canada Celebrates 10 Years as a Top Employer in British Columbia
February 04, 2022
Knight Piésold Releases Its Engineer of Record Guidelines for Tailings Facilities
October 19, 2021
Knight Piésold Chile Pioneers the Application of BIM and AWP to Develop Mining Projects
October 07, 2021
Dr. Violeta Martin a Key Contributor to the CDA Technical Bulletin on Tailings Dam Breach Analysis
June 25, 2021
Knight Piésold Australia to Present Findings at Mine Waste and Tailings Conference in Brisbane
June 22, 2021
Knight Piésold Argentina Recognized for Environmental Commitment by the Municipality of Godoy Cruz
May 04, 2021
Brittany Hutchings Named as Office Manager of Knight Piésold USA's Elko Office
March 16, 2021
Guillermo Barreda Appointed General Manager of Knight Piésold Peru