Water is guaranteed

In a brief interview, Project Conga’s manager environment, Carlomagno Bazán, pointed out that water quality and quantity was guaranteed n his area of influence.



Will Project Conga reduce water quantity on the head of the river basin?
During the Conga operation we have foreseen a positive impact on water quantity. The environmental steps proposed in the Environment Impact Study (EIA in Spanish) and approved by the National Water Authority and the Ministry of Energy and Mines includes the building of reservoirs with a capacity of up to 3.2Mm3 water for exclusive use in the farmlands in the neighboring basins. These steps will have a greater benefit than impact itself on the underground drainage network and natural water harvesting system.

What benefits will the Conga reservoirs provide?
According to historical water quantity records in the neighboring basins, during the driest months of the dry season (August -September) there is usually a maximum discharge of 20l/s approximately. However, studies state that with reservoirs said areas would be in a position to provide a total discharge of no less than 51 liters/second to neighboring basins, thus supplying a greater quantity of water even in the driest of the season. This translates into more available water for the exclusive use of the communities within the area of influence of the Conga Project.

Besides quantity, is water quality also assured?
The environmental steps to be taken concerning water quality include the building of great sediment control dams to hold sediments in the Alto Jadibamba, Alto Chirimayo and Chailhuagon Rivers basins, so that water discharge to said basins does not exceed a 50mg/liter total suspended solids (TSS) concentration. As to the steps proposed to control mine acid drainage, the Project plans to implement an acid water treatment plant to enable discharge of treated water as per applicable Environmental Quality Standards (EQS).