Episode 02  ·  1 / 10
Water Loss  —
Case File #002  ·  Water Intelligence

Limestone Everywhere.
Water Nowhere.

A 4.5 MTPA limestone mine. Monsoon-zone location. And yet — water is the single largest unmanaged cost on site.

₹8.2 Cr
Annual Water Cost
38%
Unaccounted Loss
3.1 ML/day
Total Consumption
Executive Brief

The Water Balance — What the Data Shows

4.5 MTPA limestone operation · Rajasthan belt · FY 2023–24 actuals

Total Water Drawn
1,132 ML
Per year · groundwater + tankers
Process Water Used
698 ML
Crusher, conveyor, suppression
Unaccounted Loss
434 ML
No meter. No record. Gone.
Water Cost / Tonne
₹18.2/T
vs ₹9.8/T best-in-class
Recycling Rate
22%
Industry benchmark: 58%
Regulatory Notices
3
CGWB overextraction · FY24
Water Flow Map

Where Does the Water Go?

Annual Water Use Breakdown — 1,132 ML
Dust Suppression
318 ML 28%
Largest single user · mostly unmetered
Evaporation + Seepage
249 ML 22%
Open storage ponds · unlined haul roads
Crusher + Processing
226 ML 20%
Wet scrubbers, conveyor wash
Evidence File 01

The Dewatering Paradox

Mine pumps out 186 ML of groundwater per year to keep the pit dry — then purchases 212 ML from tankers because the site has no water.
+₹3.1/T
Cost Impact
Dewatering Pumped Out vs. Water Purchased (ML/quarter)
Investigator's note: The pumped-out water is discharged into a nala 800m away. The tanker fills from a borewell 1.2 km away. No one connected the two decisions — because they sit in different budget lines.
Evidence Strength
Evidence File 02

The Invisible Drain — Dust Suppression

318 ML/year applied on haul roads with zero flow meters. Driver decides the quantity. No feedback loop. Estimated 40% over-application vs engineered dust models.
+₹2.6/T
Cost Impact
Water Use by Activity — ML/year
Investigator's note: Dust suppression is the only major water use category with no meter, no target, and no variance reporting. In every other mine process, there is a number to hit. Here, there is none.
Evidence Strength
Critical Discovery

Water Accounting Confidence™

Mine Alpha Score
44
/ 100
HIGH RISK · Significant blind spots
Industry Avg
56
Best in Class
84
Score Breakdown
A score below 50 means more than half the water on site cannot be traced to a specific use, loss pathway, or return flow. Every unmeasured litre is a decision made blind.
Prime Suspect
₹5.8/T
Open Pond Storage + Unlined Roads
Evaporation · seepage · overflow events
+₹2.8/T
Evaporation from 3 open storage ponds
~104 ML/yr · no cover · no shade
+₹1.8/T
Seepage through unlined haul roads
68 ML/yr lost to subsoil
+₹0.7/T
Monsoon overflow events
3 spill events FY24 · regulatory exposure
+₹0.5/T
Tailings pond return loss
No recirculation system in place
34% of total water cost overrun · highest single category
Financial Consequence

₹18.2/T — Every Rupee Traced

Cost Category ₹/Tonne
Open storage evaporation
₹2.8
Dewatering–purchase gap
₹3.1
Dust suppression overuse
₹2.6
Seepage (roads + ponds)
₹1.8
Crusher / process wash
₹1.6
Tailings return loss
₹1.0
Overflow / spill events
₹0.7
Unavoidable process base
₹4.6
Total ₹/T ₹18.2/T ✓
Annual Cost at 4.5 MTPA
Avoidable vs Unavoidable
₹13.6/T
Avoidable with intervention
₹4.6/T
Unavoidable process cost
Recoverable annual value: ₹6.12 Crore
Industry Benchmark

How Mine Alpha Compares

Limestone/cement mines · India · FY24 data · masked identities

Mine₹/TRecycle%WAC
Mine Alpha 18.2 22% 44
Mine Beta 15.6 31% 51
Mine Gamma 13.1 44% 63
Mine Delta 11.4 52% 71
Best in Class 9.8 61% 84
Water Cost ₹/T — Peer Comparison
Recycling Rate vs Water Cost
The correlation is direct: every 10% improvement in recycling rate reduces water cost by approximately ₹2.1/T. Mine Alpha sits furthest from the frontier.
Executive Action

Three Decisions. ₹6.12 Cr Recoverable.

Action 01 · Immediate
Meter Every Major Water Draw
Install flow meters on all dewatering pumps, tanker fill points, and dust suppression trucks. Creates the visibility baseline for all other interventions. 90-day deployment.
Investment: ₹18L  ·  WAC Score +22 pts
Action 02 · 6 Months
Close the Dewatering Loop
Pipe dewatering discharge to site storage instead of nala discharge. Eliminates tanker dependency. Estimated 180 ML/year saved. Pending CGWB consent amendment.
Investment: ₹42L  ·  Saves ₹2.8 Cr/yr
Action 03 · 12 Months
Cover + Line the Storage Ponds
Float covers on 2 primary ponds. HDPE lining on haul road drainage channels. Eliminates 104 ML evaporation and 68 ML seepage annually.
Investment: ₹1.1 Cr  ·  Saves ₹2.1 Cr/yr
Total Investment
₹1.7 Cr
Annual Recovery
₹6.12 Cr
Payback Period
3.4 Months
Water Cost / Tonne After
₹10.8/T
Mining Intelligence Lab™  ·  The Water Visibility Puzzle  ·  Episode 02
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Shubham B
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Shubham B
Mining & Cement Industry · Strategy & Digital Intelligence
Operational Excellence Mine-to-Market Strategy AI & Data Transformation Cost Intelligence Executive Decision Support
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