The Olympic Dam mine and processing plant operate in an arid, isolated area so providing a reliable long-term water supply for the operation is a major challenge.
Olympic Dam and the township of Roxby Downs currently use water that is piped from two wellfields in the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) under licence from the South Australian Government.
The ore body at Olympic Dam is one of the largest in the world. To develop the operation further the expanded mining operation will need a lot more water. The expanded operation and township would require an additional average of 200 ML/d.
A coastal desalination plant at Point Lowly in Upper Spencer Gulf is BHP Billiton’s preferred primary water supply option.
To find out more about the proposed water supply, the Water Supply Information Sheet (PDF, 939kb) provides more information including details about:
- Alternative supply options
- The proposed site at Point Lowly
- Intake pipe and return water
- Assessments on marine life
- Powering the desalination plant
