Mining is an important part of the economy of Chile. A high proportion of mines are located in remote, high altitude, extremely and environments in northern Chile. The demands of the mining industry for potable and ore-processing water, along with existing longer term demands, mean that water has a high commercial value in this region. Set against this is the desire to conserve the unique flora and fauna, highlighted by the existence of a number of conservation sites of international importance. A typical case study charting the investigation of an aquifer in this region [the Monturaqui-Negrillar-Tilopozo (MNT) aquifer] and the development of a plan for groundwater use observing the requirement for sustainability is presented. The important aspects of the geology and hydrogeology of the aquifer are presented, and a description is given of the techniques used to arrive at a sustainable groundwater development strategy. The unusual characteristics of the aquifer meant that the use of spatially distributed time-variant numerical models to identify a sustainable groundwater abstraction strategy was necessary. The abstraction strategy will enable sustainable abstraction of a significant volume of groundwater from the MNT basin, taking advantage of the high storage to recharge/discharge ratio of the aquifer.
