Water
Our priority is to sustainably manage water resources by limiting its use and safeguarding its quality. We engage with our neighboring communities to collaboratively manage shared water resources throughout the project life cycle. From the outset, we have incorporated water stewardship considerations into our project decisions and design – a reflection of our driving focus on using water efficiently and limiting water quality impacts.
The process flowsheet design for Thacker Pass is leveraging filtration, evaporation and centrifuge technologies to maximize the reuse and recycling of processed water and limit the amount of water obtained from natural sources. Based on a detailed water cycle assessment, any water withdrawn for the project is expected to be recycled and reused an average of approximately seven times within the production process. Thacker Pass is also being designed as a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) facility that does not discharge industrial wastewater into the environment. This is an extensive commitment because it means all processed water, including water filtered from tailings, must be recycled in the site's production process.
To minimize the cumulative impact of water withdrawal on the local aquifer, Thacker Pass will use existing nearby water rights, making the overall withdrawal volume consistent with past years. Phase 1 requires approximately the same amount of water as 4-5 alfalfa irrigation pivots. When water rights were transferred from agricultural use to industrial use, 22.5% of the total allowable withdrawal volume was returned to the state of Nevada. No additional water rights are required for Phase 1.
Below we illustrate how water flows at Thacker Pass. Any water withdrawn for the project is expected to be recycled and reused an average of approximately seven times within the production process.