Micro-credential Tailings Water Balance

Program Overview

This micro-credential focuses on water balance components in tailings management, emphasizing storage capacity, extreme event quantification, and climate change adaptation. It's designed for professionals in tailings management, with a series of online learning modules, discussion forums, and career applications. Graduates will be able to enhance their knowledge in water balance quantification, storage requirements, and spillway capacity management.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This micro-credential focuses on the components of a water balance in tailings management and methods for quantifying them. It covers various types of water balance, from simple databases to complex probabilistic numerical simulations. The program emphasizes choosing appropriate design events, dealing with extreme events, and ensuring adequate water storage capacity and freeboard, especially considering potential climate change impacts.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this micro-credential, participants will be able to:

• Describe the components of a water balance
• Evaluate the decant pump requirements or spillway capacity when managing an extreme storm event
• Quantify the inputs and outputs of water
• Design for a zero spill operation and potential changes due to climate change

Teaching:

• Online access to learning material, on demand.
• Two online discussion forums for students to discuss the learning material and share their own insights into the topics covered.

Careers:

• This micro-credential is designed for professionals working in the field of tailings management.
• It is best suited to practicing engineers, geoscientists, or individuals with responsibility for managing water within a tailings storage facility.
• The micro-credential is part of a series that leads to a Graduate Certificate in Tailings Management.

Other:

• This micro-credential is the second of three in Tailings Operations and Water Management.
• It is one of a series of 12 micro-credentials (currently in development) that lead to a Graduate Certificate in Tailings Management.
• Future Tails is a five-year initiative funded by sponsors Rio Tinto and BHP to facilitate industry understanding of best practice mine tailings management.
• It is highly recommended that students take MINEM521: Tailings Operations before taking MINEM522: Tailings Water Balance.
• Engineering numerical skills are required, as there will be some calculations that are essential to understanding the material.
• The other two micro-credentials on the topic of Tailings Operations and Water Management are: (1) Tailings Operations; and (2) Tailings Dewatering Technologies.
• Topics covered by the other micro-credentials include an Introduction to Tailings Management, Tailings Risk Evaluation, and Tailings Governance.
• The Calendar of micro-credentials can be found here.
• In order to apply for the Graduate Certificate award, you must have a Bachelor of Engineering degree or a degree in a related field and have met UWA's English language competency requirements.