Water Monitoring Equipment for Mine Sites
The management of water at mine sites is identified as a significant issue by governments and mining companies alike. Sustainable development is a global priority and the mining industry recognizes that it has a key role to play.
The impact of mining development can be minimized through comprehensive planning, careful construction and accurate monitoring. Key to fulfilling these objectives is the need to acquire accurate information at all stages of mine design, development, operation and decommissioning.
Solinst has been developing and manufacturing high quality, water monitoring instruments for more than 25 years, and offers a broad range of innovative, practical and rugged hydrogeological and hydrological equipment designed to obtain accurate information in a cost-effective manner.
This brochure provides a summary of some of the high quality products provided by Solinst Canada Ltd.
Water Level Meters
Solinst Meters are suitable for measuring water levels in boreholes, monitoring wells, sumps, drains and other mine site locations where continuous monitoring is not required. Solinst offers a range of water level meters designed for use in difficult terrain, weather and chemical conditions, they provide consistently accurate readings using permanently bonded markings each 1/100 ft or millimeter on flexible, non-stretch polyethylene tape. Stainless steel probes attached to the tape are precise and corrosion proof.
The Model 101 Water Level Meter is the industry standard for portable hand operated meters. The tape design utilizes two multi-stranded stainless steel wires for strength. The well-balanced reels are equipped with a sensitivity switch, battery test button, brake and probe holder and can accommodate up to 3500 ft (1500 m) of tape. An easy-to-access 9V battery powers the buzzer and light, which activate on contact with water.
The Mini 101 Water Level Meter represents a breakthrough in design for an accurate yet small meter for measuring water levels in narrow diameter wells. The Mini is lightweight and compact for easy transport in remote areas and is available in lengths of 30 ft. and 65 ft. (10 m, 20 m)
Power Reels which use a 110V power supply are available for easy tape retrieval from deep wells.
Transducers & Leveloggers
Transducers are ideal for permanent or semi-permanent installations in wells, tailings ponds, lakes, rivers, tanks and discharge pipes where accurate readings and continuous monitoring of water levels or fluid pressures is required. Solinst offers the Model 3001 Levelogger line of transducers, equipped with easily programmed, battery operated dataloggers, which allow measurements to be taken at selected time intervals as small as 0.5 sec. Battery life is 8 - 10 years. Data remains stored and retrievable even if power is lost.
Leveloggers can be suspended on a wireline for downhole measurements or connected directly at the surface using direct read cable. Leveloggers are compensated for temperature automatically. Barometric pressure can be compensated for using the Barologger, with the “barometric compensation wizard”, included in the Levelogger software.
Systems that measure total pressure and barometric pressure separately, such as the Solinst Levelogger, are more accurate, reliable and subject to less maintenance than vented cable systems, which are expensive, prone to damage and can in some instances give erroneous readings due to moisture accumulation lag time in pressure equalization.
Downloading of data can be carried out in a number of ways. The Levelogger can be physically retrieved and taken back to an office or central facility for downloading. Alternatively, data can be retrieved in the field without removing the datalogger and downloaded directly to a laptop computer. A Leveloader is also available which allows downloading of Leveloggers to a small inexpensive hand held device.
Telemetry Systems
At decommissioned, or for remote mine sites, where costs to send personnel to retrieve data are significant and where access to real time monitoring data is crucial, telemetry systems can provide a cost-effective way of managing data.
Solinst has developed the Model 9100 Telemetry System (STS) for use specifically with the Levelogger. Software provides easy identification of individual loggers, and accommodates the setup of up to 6 polling schedules and 3 authority levels in large or small systems. The STS uses low power electronics to minimize power requirements during operation, and requires no power at all in standby mode.
Power is supplied by battery, and can be equipped with an optional solar panel to trickle charge the battery. The STS can be operated using hardwire landlines, radio frequency, analog (AMPS) or digital cellular (GSM, CDMA), or satellite.
Water Quality Measurements
Water chemistry can be an important consideration in establishing baseline groundwater or surface water quality conditions within a watershed, and monitoring the impact of mining operations on water quality. Solinst has developed a number of water quality probes that are suitable for mine water applications.
The Model 2001 Reelogger is a modular system that can operate up to eight probes in-line or in a 3-probe manifold, as a portable reel-mounted system or as a fixed dedicated system. The Reelogger measures temperature, conductivity and pH along with water level, fluid pressure and barometric pressure using probes designed for superior accuracy, durability and long term stability. An LCD display provides instant viewing of current readings. More than 100,000 readings can be stored in non-volatile memory for easy downloading to a PC. A number of other general water quality parameter probes are currently under development.
Water quality probes are also available in the Levelogger series. The LTC Levelogger allows accurate measurement of temperature compensated conductivity using a 4-electrode platinum sensor and thermistor.
Sampling Pumps
Solinst offers a full range of pumps for a variety of purposes, from conducting pumping tests to groundwater sampling in large diameter (6 in. or 152 mm) and small diameter (0.5 in. or 13 mm) boreholes, wells or sampling tubes.
Simple, low cost Waterra inertial foot valve pumps are suitable for dedicated groundwater sampling to depths of 250 ft (80 m). Peristaltic Pumps operating on suction lift can be used for sampling shallow groundwater or surface water.
Solinst Integra® Bladder Pumps constructed of PVC or stainless steel are suitable for both low flow and regular flow sampling in wells to depths of up to 500 ft (150 m). Double Valve Pumps are versatile gas drive pumps which are easily converted to Bladder Pumps.
Solinst has developed a Discrete Interval Sampler, which allows sampling at a specified depth without mixing sample with the water column either on the way down or during retrieval and is useful for sampling contaminant zones.
Multilevel Systems
Multilevel systems are a cost-effective means of gathering reliable groundwater information for characterizing the groundwater flow regime within and surrounding a mine site, and assessing the migration of localized contaminant plumes associated with mine operations.
Open boreholes are not particularly reliable to characterize complex groundwater regimes because the entire borehole is open to different hydraulic zones within the formation and fluid pressure and water quality become averaged. More accurate readings are obtained by isolating discrete zones, which can be accomplished through the use of multilevel systems. Solinst offers two different systems for a wide variety of applications.
The Model 403 CMT Multilevel System provides a simple and low cost system for monitoring up to 7 discrete zones, in 4 in. (102 mm) or larger diameter boreholes in overburden or bedrock. The CMT is constructed of 1.7 in. (43 mm) diameter, flexible, continuous, multi-channel polyethylene tubing. Sampling ports are installed on site and completed in the borehole with sand packs separated by bentonite seals.
The Model 401 Waterloo Multilevel System can accommodate up to 24 separate sampling ports in a 3 to 4 in. (75 to 102 mm) diameter boreholes and go to greater depths than the CMT System. The Waterloo System is constructed of 2 in. (51 mm) diameter schedule 80 PVC or stainless steel and can be installed in cased overburden holes or open boreholes in bedrock. Sampling zones are separated using permanent or removeable packers to form a seal against the borehole/casing wall. Individual ports can be fitted with pressure transducers and samplers for dedicated measurements, or can be sampled on an event basis with portable equipment.
Solinst Canada Ltd.
35 Todd Rd.
Georgetown, ON
L7G 4R8
Phone: (800) 661-2023; (905) 873-2255
Fax: (905) 873-1992
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