The calculation of mine water yield using the non-continuous flow theory

Large amounts of groundwater are discharged during underground mining operations. As a result, the drawdown of groundwater, known as aquifer dewatering, is common in mining areas. Because of variability in permeability between different media in mines, mine drainage occurs primarily as non-continuous flow. However, calculations of mine water yield are usually made based on the continuous flow theory, and therefore often produce erroneous results. This study predicts the water yield of a mine using the module MODFLOW and incorporating the non-continuous flow theory into the calculation. Using this method, the predicted water yield of a mine was approximately 50 % lower than that predicted using the continuous flow theory. The model also demonstrates that the rate of mine drainage varies over time; there is initially a decrease in the rate of drainage which gradually approaches a constant value. Double level flow occurs when there is non-continuous flow in continuous media, which can effectively minimize the influence of mine drainage on upper aquifers and relieve the conflict between groundwater supply and drainage in the mining area.