The Data Science Changemakers

Sarah and Arianna thrive on tackling complex problems and finding solutions. That’s what attracted them to civil engineering and hydrology. In the mining industry they’re finding plenty of important challenges to explore – and they’re making a meaningful difference to minimising impacts on the environment and communities. 

WSP’s mining clients face several important challenges, including operating in water-scarce areas, managing erosion and sedimentation, meeting water quality standards and adapting to climate change.

“There is a finite amount of water, so understanding the location, quantity, quality and use of water is critical for environmental sustainability,” explains Sarah. 

Making sense of this complexity relies on smart data solutions. 

Innovative techniques for Future Ready water solutions

“The integration of data science into the mining industry holds immense potential for advancing water stewardship practices,” says Arianna. 

“We can apply cutting-edge methodologies and techniques that involve data science, machine learning and process automation to tackle problems that were once challenging or not possible to solve. Data manipulation tasks are simplified, and workflows are designed to be scalable and replicable, which enables us to invest our resources more efficiently and deliver greater value on our projects. 

“Our smart application of data science, combined with the increasing abundance of data available, allows us to interpret beyond the typical dataset to understand the bigger picture,” she says.

“One of the key challenges I see mining clients face is the ability to quantify mitigation options in terms of risk to the receiving environment. Some projects may only focus on an isolated area however, looking at the wider implications within the upstream and downstream catchments, provides deeper understanding of the impacts. The water system over a catchment can be complex, especially considering potential changes in catchment and sensitive receptors over time throughout the life of a mine and closure.”

She explains that increased modelling, data manipulation and bespoke automation capabilities allow the team to efficiently adopt new information and improve assessments without significant rework. “The ability to improve and expand Python scripts is a powerful way for the client to demonstrate to regulators their commitment to continually improve the confidence of the results as new information is available. This also reduces human error and ensures the assessment is always undertaken consistently.”

Sarah says that working with WSP’s many specialists and multidisciplinary teams leads to collaborative solutions that view issues from all angles and see the big picture.

“We offer assessments that take a range of climate scenarios, operational phases and mitigation solutions into account,” she says. “This provides our clients with an envelope of potential results and alternatives so they can make informed decisions to help them meet their legal obligations and increase the sustainability of their operations now and into the future.”

The future is driven by data

Sarah and Arianna recommend that to maintain Australia’s status as a leader in mining innovation, the mining industry should invest in data science and strive to attract the next generation of data scientists.

“There is significant potential in implementing state-of-the-art methodologies and technological advancements in the projects we undertake,” says Arianna. “Investing in data collection would enable data scientists to implement more sophisticated solutions and achieve more reliable and relevant results to solve tomorrow’s problems.

“By approaching complex projects with creativity and innovation, we stay ahead of future trends.

“These innovative solutions empower our clients to comprehend risks within their mining operations, guiding their data collection and design strategies. Ultimately, these approaches lead to best practices, reducing operational costs and enhancing overall productivity for our clients.”

WSP Changemakers