Case Studies

Ensuring Drinking Water Supply in South America's Largest Gold Mine

Written by Alan Clarke | Mar 7, 2023 3:00:00 PM

Water is crucial for any mining operation's employee health, safety, and productivity. However, providing remote facilities with reliable fresh water takes serious effort, particularly in a large mine. In this case study, we will explore how Ayyeka's hardware and software were used to power a water level monitoring system in South America's largest gold mine.

 

 

 

The Challenge

The client faced several obstacles to providing water to employees spread out over a wide area. Checking water levels in the tanks manually was a time-consuming and inefficient task that often resulted in long delays when no drinking water was available. Suppliers only knew that water tank levels needed replenishment in a specific location once levels reached zero. It often took hours for drivers to travel between sites several kilometers apart to refill tanks for offices, canteens, and other departments.

 

 

The Solution

Ayyeka partnered with EnerTek Global of Peru to install Wavelet devices connected to 4-20mA water level sensors in each tank. Aqualabo Redox pH sensor and Phent sensors were employed to collect data. 

The Wavelet devices collect real-time water level data and send it to Ayyeka's cloud-based software, the Field Asset Intelligence platform (FAI).

The FAI collects & organizes the data, sending an alert to the dispatch manager's phone, email, and web interface dashboard when water levels drop below 30%. This enables the dispatch manager to promptly send a tanker truck to refill the tanks with fresh water, ensuring a constant supply to the remote offices.

 

 

 

Installation and Support

Before being sent to the site, the system was tested, allowing the client to install it, saving up to $10,000 for tech experts. EnerTek Global provided remote support in Spanish via a two-way remote communication platform.

 

Conclusion

Thanks to Ayyeka's integrated solution, South America's largest gold mine now receives a stable supply of fresh water to keep its remote offices operational.

The Wavelet devices, which collect real-time data, were critical to the system's success. The FAI platform processed the data and sent alerts to the dispatch manager, enabling quick action when water levels were low or hydraulic circuit issues were detected.