Minera Escondida has received environmental impact assessment approval for the construction of a $120m potable water and wastewater treatment plant.
The plant will be built near Escondida's copper mine in Chile's northern region II, reports bnamericas.com.
The potable water plant will use reverse osmosis technology to treat 30l per second of water and will produce 1,500m3 of water per day.
The scope of work includes the construction of a 4.5km pipeline to transport water from the mine's reservoirs to the new plant.
Escondida will use activated sludge aeration at the wastewater treatment plant to process 1,500m3 of wastewater, including primary and secondary treatment.
Approximately 80% of the treated wastewater from the plant will be used for mining operations through a 4km pipeline.
