In many countries, particularly those prone to drought, water is one of the most precious resources, either for supporting the natural environment or for consumptive uses including potable water and irrigation or to support mining and industry. However, as growth continues in industry and our cities water resources are being increasingly impacted by human activity. Illustrated in this paper are several chemical methods which have proved useful tools in assessing the extent of potential impacts on water resources due to anthropogenic activities, in this instance mining.  This paper presents the results of a three-year case study from a drinking water supply catchment south of Sydney, Australia that is currently being directly undermined by a longwall coal mine. Longwall mining can cause mine-induced subsidence, with the resulting impacts to water resources including reduction and/or loss of surface flow, diversion of surface water flows to the subsurface, loss of standing pools, adverse water quality changes and development of iron bacterial mats.  In this study, standard chemical analyses for water were combined with environmental isotopes (oxygen-18, deuterium, carbon-14, tritium and radon-222) and applied tracers (fluorescent dye and salt) to provide detailed information on changes to the quality and volume of the surface and groundwater resources in the study area. This investigation allowed for a quantitative determination of changes to flow pattern and a long term assessment of likely changes to water quality. The results of the study will inform and guide management policies that balance the needs of two of Australia's most important natural resources, coal and water.

Chemical methods to inform water resource management in mining impacted catchments

241st National Meeting (2011)

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