As an Environmental Geoscientist-in-Training, Tenea Dillman spends most of her time working at New Gold’s New Afton Mine thinking about one thing—water.
“My days include a mix of field and desk work, everything from taking samples or doing seep monitoring underground, to tracking water usage and updating our site water balance model,” said Tenea. “Water has become an increasingly critical piece of the puzzle for how our industry moves into the future, and we’re really focused on managing water effectively and responsibly.”
Tenea and other members of the mine’s environment team help to monitor potential risks associated with water inflow, or the introduction of water into areas of the mine, as well as the site’s overall water balance. As New Afton continues to advance production of C-Zone underground, ensuring the safe and responsible deposition of tailings remains critical. Since 2024, the mine has been utilizing the historic pit facility as a deposition location for thickened and amended tailings as staff work to dewater and close the primary New Afton Tailings Storage Facility.
“Right now, a really important focus is how the Afton Pit Tailings Storage Facility is interacting with the underground mine workings,” added Tenea. “It’s fascinating to work at a mine where tailings are stored above the underground facility.”
It’s that unique challenge that Tenea says serves as inspiration for her to continue developing her knowledge. After spending eight months at New Afton in 2021 as part of a co-op while completing her environmental earth sciences degree at the University of Alberta, Tenea joined New Gold after graduation as a full-time junior hydrogeologist in 2022. She is now pursuing her professional geoscientist designation with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia.
“Continuing education is a requirement of maintaining your designation when you get it, so engaging in the scientific community and learning about new advancements is essential,” said Tenea. “There is so much to learn about mining and geoscience here at New Afton that the learning never stops.”
The post Going With the Flow: Discovering a Career in Water Management first appeared on New Afton Mine.