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Potable Water Supply For Construction Camps

Construction Camps, Potable Water, Enviroconcepts

Construction Camps – Potable Water

Many mine sites are in remote areas and therefore the workers must stay close to the sites. In such cases, the employer is obligated to provide accommodation for the workers at the premises and ensure that the camp is not exposed to any hazards. One of the top factors for construction camp organisers to consider is the water quality in the camp including potable water, recycled water, waste water treatment and the quality of recreational water bodies.

What is Potable Water and Why Do Construction Camps Need It?

Potable water in construction camp sites is challenging in many cases especially as Council/Mains water is out of reach. Providing clean, safe, fresh, drinking water for the workers in construction camps is essential.

Potable water is drinking water fit for human consumption. To ensure that water is safe for drinking, it should meet certain standards. The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines provide a framework for the management for any drinking water supplies intended for human consumption. Enviro Concepts provides filtration systems to make water potable on mine sites.

Water Treatment Process

Most naturally occurring water sources include rivers, lakes, wells and aquifers, all require quality management and treatment to make the water potable. There are two primary categories of contaminants that make the water non-potable:

  1. Physical or chemical contaminants such as heavy metals, suspended solids and organic compounds; and
  2. Microbiological contaminants such as viruses, bacteria and parasites

Some of the water treatment technologies we use depend on the water source like deep bed microfiltration, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis to meet potable water standards.

Microfiltration removes particles of 0.1 – 10 microns or larger. Ultrafiltration removes particles of roughly 0.01 microns or larger. Nanofiltration removes particles of 0.001 microns or larger. Reverse osmosis is in the final category of membrane filtration, hyperfiltration, and removes particles larger than 0.0001 microns. Read our series of blog posts on Filtration by clicking here.

The filtered water is then disinfected using UV light and Chlorination to kill remaining harmful microorganisms. UV light provides rapid, effective inactivation of microorganisms through a physical process. When bacteria, viruses and protozoa are exposed to the germicidal wavelengths of UV light, they are rendered incapable of reproducing and infecting people. Chlorination involves adding chlorine to the water to kill pathogens and prevents the spread of waterborne diseases.

Enviro Concepts Containerised Water Treatment Solutions

Enviro Concepts provides containerised and skid mounted water treatment plants for construction camps, especially as most of the assets in a camp are temporary and will be decommissioned at some point. All Enviro Concepts solutions are designed to be modular and portable, providing long term return on investment for our clients.

For more information on your potable water needs, contact us or request a free estimate.

Enviro Concepts Wastewater Management Estimate