Rosebery Mine High-Pressure Water Sprinkler System

The 2/5 Dam TSF is one of the active tailings storage facilities at the Rosebery Mine. ATC Williams originally designed the facility as a sub-aqueous tailings discharge system.

To increase storage capacity, the sub-aqueous discharge system has been recently converted to the existing system to sub-aerial discharge. The potential for dust generation from the sub-aerial tailings beach was recognised as a risk to the health of the population living in the Rosebery township, especially during the drier months of the year. To mitigate the risk, a high-pressure pumping system and a series of high-pressure and high-flow sprinklers with Throw Distance of 85m were designed and installed around the perimeter crest of the 2/5 Dam TSF. 

The work involved in the upgrade of this facility included the design and installation of

• the tailings delivery pipeline and spigot system
• the flushing system for the tailings distribution system
• a high-pressure and high-flow pumping system
• a series of high-pressure water sprinklers system
• a control system that included solenoid valves for the remote operation of the sprinklers.

The network of water sprinklers was successfully commissioned in October 2021 and has been in operation since.

The system assists the mine in keeping the sub-aerial tailings beach wet during the dry months of the year to reduce the potential for dust generation.