Water management

Access to clean water is a fundamental human right and a vital resource for Gold Fields’ mining and ore processing activities. We are committed to responsible water stewardship as it enables security of supply to our own operations. Managing our impact on and access to water is also essential to maintaining our licence to operate, as water is a critical resource for many of our host communities.

We have adopted an integrated approach to water management, including alignment to the ICMM Water Position Statement, baseline water assessments at the operations, and the adoption of a catchment approach to water management based on risk and opportunity analyses. Through careful management, we are able to reduce our environmental impact through responsible use, storage and release of water, while also reducing our costs. Furthermore, we aim to develop our water management policy by Q2 2019.

The ICMM Position Statement on water stewardship commitments was adopted by Gold Fields in 2017. Gaps in terms of our alignment with the ICMM statement were assessed and closed-out by each of our operations in 2018. During this year, we also engaged an external company to conduct a third-party review to verify this alignment to the position statement. This company confirmed our overall alignment rating and found a strong commitment to water stewardship at both corporate and operational levels, with transparent communication and disclosure of our water performance statistics both internally and externally. They also found a need for greater alignment of Gold Fields’ operations’ water balances within the context of the water requirements of the wider catchment area, particularly adjacent communities.

Group performance

All our operations have predictive and dynamic water balances in place.

During 2018, Gold Fields spent a total of US$32m on water management and projects (2017: US$29m). Our operations are investing heavily in improving water management practices, including pollution prevention, recycling and water conservation initiatives.

Water withdrawal¹ across the Group decreased to 21.2Gl (2017: 32.9Gl), including a total of 14.5Gl relating to freshwater usage. The main reason is a change in the definition of water withdrawal to align with the ICMM Water Reporting Guideline. Dewatered and diverted water4 was previously reported as withdrawn water by our Australian operations, but has been reclassified as water diverted in alignment with the ICMM definitions as it is not used in the mine processes. Water withdrawal per tonne processed declined to 0.64Kl (2017: 0.96Kl) and per ounce produced to 10.3Kl in 2018 (2017: 14.8Kl), in line with the significant drop in water withdrawal.

Water recycled² or reused³ amounted to 41.4Gl (2017: 43.3Gl). The ICMM has recommended a recycling/reuse target of 65% for mining operations, which we adopted in 2018 and we achieved 66% (2017: 57%).

We benchmark our water usage by participating in the CDP water disclosure programme. The CDP’s water score is an indicator of a company’s commitment to transparency around its water risks, and the sufficiency of its response to them. During 2018, Gold Fields achieved a B score, down from the A-score in its 2017 CDP waterassessment. This is a notch belowthe top mining performers andreflects broader assessment criteriafor the mining sector, many of whichare not relevant to Gold Fields.

Total water used in processes.5
Water withdrawal per tonne processed		Water recycled/reused as percentage of total

For details of our water management approach, policies and guidelines, as well as our adoption of the ICMM Water Stewardship Position Statement, go to www.goldfields.com/sustainability.php.

Americas

			Regional performance
Americas			KEY RISKS		2018 KEY DEVELOPMENTS Cerro Corona remains committed to providing local communities with potable water and implements projects focusing on water provision and improvement of municipal water systems. The Health Authority approved the registration of Cerro Corona’s water systems used for human consumption. On 16 December 2018, approximately 180m³ of water containing tailings from the Cerro Corona TSF in Peru, flowed through a creek and reached the nearby Tingo river. This has since been rectified (Environmental Stewardship). We continued negotiations to purchase land for a water treatment plant for the Haulgayoc drinking water system, improving the availability of drinking water for about 4,000 beneficiaries. Two water efficiency projects, which will reduce the consumption of drinking water in the accommodation camp and reduce the evaporation from water ponds, are planned for 2019/2020.
			Poorly developed public water infrastructure Cerro Corona being blamed for ongoing or perceived water quality pollution by neighbouring mines Leakage of polluted water from our mine into neighbouring rivers Water-related activism at local and regional levels
			STRATEGIC RESPONSES
			Cerro Corona has a water management strategy in place that includes: Permits for water use Water balance to control the volume of run-off water stored in the TSF Rainwater storage and recycling Community water supply programmes Water monitoring and quality controls at discharge points Proactive engagements with community organisations and local government Diversion channels for clean water Water permits for the mine, plant and tailings dam

Australia

Australia			KEY RISKS		2018 KEY DEVELOPMENTS Granny Smith implemented an initiative to improve surface water through harvesting rain and surface water and reinjecting this water into an aquifer, improving recharge rates and yield. This reduces the reliance on the Mt Weld borefield and supplements the water required for the process plant and Wallaby underground mine. St Ives has two water agreements in place: the first with the Water Corporation, terminating in 2050, which provides for the majority of the potable water, as well as an agreement with a neighbouring mine, which provides for declining entitlements until 2021 when it will be replaced in full by provisions from the Water Corporation. Agnew receives water from a number of sources, including a range of pits filled with rainwater. At the Gruyere project, two borefields will supply the mine and the Gruyere village. The Yeo borefield will serve as the main water source for Gruyere’s processing plant. To date, 21 boreholes have been drilled and installation of a 95km water pipeline to the processing plant has commenced.
			The limited availability of fresh water Impacts of flooding from extreme events
			STRATEGIC RESPONSES
			Water management strategies are in place, including the development and maintenance of appropriate water balances, linked to operating strategies and post-closure water management plans The operations have a long history of using saline to hypersaline water Nano-filtration water treatment technologies are being evaluated at St Ives to remove magnesium from the water, improving the quality of recycled water

West Africa

West Africa			KEY RISKS		An inaugural Regional Water Working Group was held in Q4 2018, seeking to identify and further incorporate water management opportunities at our Ghanaian operations. Brine recirculation from the Tarkwa northern heap leach pads continued in 2018. Tarkwa is also examining contracting external companies to provide more advanced treatment options for brine and increase treatment capacity. Damang implemented the treatment of nitrate-laden water from the open pits. The mine also established a water monitoring team, comprising members of the local community, to enhance transparency and communication of water results. Both operations now have fully functioning water balance software, with teams trained in developing water management models.
			Intense periods of precipitation during Ghana’s rainy seasons Water pollution affecting communities adjacent to both operations Providing potable water in the event of possible water pollution The impact of illegal mining on water sources Mining landforms affecting natural surface water flow
			STRATEGIC RESPONSES
			Water management strategies include: Water storage and reuse Water volume and quality monitoring Controlled water releases to external water bodies Landform reviews to ensure adequate surface water drainage Expanded cut-off trenches Enhanced pit dewatering strategies

South Africa

South Africa			KEY RISKS		2018 KEY DEVELOPMENTS The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) issued South Deep’s water licence in December 2018. South Deep and Sibanye-Stillwater jointly undertook a study of the impact of historical mining pollution in the Leeuspruit stream, which flows through the operational area of both companies. The Leeuspruit Legacy Project report was presented to the DWS and an environmental NGO, the Federation for a Sustainable Environment. Both parties supported the study and recommended that further work be undertaken. A risk assessment and development of a remediation and closure plan with costs are under way. Seepage plumes have previously been identified at South Deep’s Doornpoort TSF. As part of the project to contain and reduce these plumes, 13 boreholes and two seepage sumps were equipped with a pumping and monitoring system, which is monitored on an ongoing basis.
			Growing concerns around water scarcity in South Africa Seepage plumes at South Deep’s Doornpoort TSF
			STRATEGIC RESPONSES
			Usage of a number of water sources, including recycling and conservation initiatives, water treatment plants, boreholes and access to the public water system Ongoing water monitoring, containment in storage facilities, water treatment and purification, to ensure water security and mitigate water pollution. Undertaking studies of the mine’s impact on the wider catchment area, including a post-closure water management plan and the Leeuspruit legacy study Participation in the existing catchment forum Environmental educational lectures and tours for local communities