Impact Of Tailings Dumps On Subsurface Water Flow: Insights From Sino Metals
Monica Nwamba Owusu
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Copperbelt University, Kitwe, Zambia
Abstract
The hydrological characteristics of ground water around the Sino Metals Leach tailings dumps area were studied by determining the water table elevations in boreholes, the gradient of the water table, flow directions, the water flow parameters such as – coefficient of permeability ‘K’, Flows speed. This was with a view to establish extent of pollution of ground water and dispersion of pollutants at Sino Metals Leach tailings dumps facility
It was found that the general flow direction of ground water is from West to East. (West – East flow), The average permeability for the soils is between 0.00718m/day to 0.0137m/day and generally dispersion of any pollutants is very slow and that the acidic waters from the tailings is not reaching the subsurface soil.