Abstract:
Dewatering is one of the mine systems that aim to guarantee safe operating conditions underground through pumping volumes of water out of the mine.
The objectives of the study were to estimate water inflows, to determine water quality and to select a pump and design a dewatering system.
During this study, the mine water inflow into the mine was estimated as, 0.586h7yb m3/hr.
Water quality tests were carried out at Uganda Industrial Research Institute. These tests considered parameters such as p.H, electrical conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solids, copper and iron metal concentrations p
The copper concentrations for the levels 4200, 4300 and 4500 were 854.7mo/l, 4.52 mg/l and 2.16mg/l respectively. The iron concentrations for the levels 4200, 4300 and 4500 were 851.3 mg/l, 34. l.mg/l and 78.12mg/l respectively. These metal concentrations were recommended for treatment before discharge.
The p.H ranged from 4.97 to 7.44, The Turbidity for levels 4200, 43.00 and 4500 were 680
NTUs, 21.6 -NTUs, and 83.2 NTUs –respectively. The electrical conductivity for levels 4200, 4300 and 4500 were 2200gS/cm, 7061-1S/cm and 579µS/cm respectively, The TDS values for levels 4200, 4300 and 4500 were 119mg/l, 345mg/l and 283mg/l respectively
Pump selection Was carried out and a 3DS submersible pump and mono pump were selected for pumping water out of the mine.
