Researchers at the University of Manitoba will soon have a new, non-invasive tool to study the province’s vast groundwater resources after inking a partnership with Alberta-based mining company Sio Silica.

“If the technology works … it’s going to provide a mechanism to do real-time monitoring of changes in groundwater,” Ricardo Mantilla, an associate professor in the university’s civil engineering department and lead researcher for the project, said in an interview. 

The emerging technology — called absolute quantum gravimetry — can measure changes in gravity caused by changes in groundwater levels, allowing researchers to better understand the flow and storage of underground water resources without the need for “expensive and disruptive” drilling, he said.

“That obviously has applications for [Sio Silica], but it can have very important implications for how we understand groundwater in aquifers in our province.”

Sio Silica president Carla Devlin said the partnership demonstrates the company’s support for “independent research and transparent monitoring … [that] strengthens accountability and builds trust” as it continues to seek a licence for a controversial sand mine.

Sio Silica is in the process of seeking an environmental licence for a mine that proposes airlifting silica sand from a drinking water aquifer in southeastern Manitoba. It’s the company’s second attempt to secure a licence; Manitoba’s environment minister rejected an initial proposal in early 2024 following a hearing by the province’s Clean Environment Commission.

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The company believes the aquifer, located 60 metres below the communities of Vivian, Anola, Springfield and others, contains high-purity silica sand that can be transformed into silicon metal — a critical mineral used for high-tech applications such as computer chips and lithium-ion batteries. Silica sand is also used in manufacturing, solar panel production and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

Residents have pushed back against the mining operation, concerned it could damage a drinking water source that serves more than 120,000 households.

The environment commission described the company’s initial proposal to drill more than 7,000 wells over 25 years and extract more than one million tonnes of sand annually with a technique that has never been used for a large-scale mine as “experimental,” urging caution and additional testing.

In October, Sio Silica submitted a revised application to the environmental assessment branch that proposes fewer wells, smaller sand quantities and a more gradual approach.

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Devlin said supporting groundwater monitoring research at Manitoba’s largest university shows the company is “really focused on water safety.”

“The work is designed to safeguard groundwater, and it will confirm that our operations will not put Manitoba’s water at risk. By monitoring and sharing data, we are helping ensure clean, safe water for communities now and into the future,” she added. 

While the technology to monitor changes in the gravitational field caused by water movement is already used in satellites, Mantilla said this new machinery — effectively a “very sophisticated refrigerator” that cools atoms to a temperature where changes in gravity become measurable — can be loaded into a truck and carted around the province, allowing for a much more localized understanding of water systems.

Mantilla said the company’s mine site could become “a good experimental test” of the new technology, but his team has a much broader focus. 

“Groundwater is everything in Manitoba,” he said.

Ricardo Mantilla, associate professor of civil engineering at the University of Manitoba, will be the principal investigator on the Sio Silica-University of Manitoba groundwater research and development partnership. He said the research project could have implications for groundwater management across the province. Photo: Supplied by Ricardo Mantilla

The province, famed for its 100,000 lakes, its web of rivers and its connection to the Arctic, is a “perfect laboratory” for water research, Mantilla said, adding the research will also have implications for one of the province’s largest industries — agriculture.

“A lot of people in the province rely on groundwater, and we want to make sure that resource is being used in a sustainable way,” Mantilla said. “This technology is well beyond any particular industrial application.” 

Mantilla said his team has been researching this method of groundwater monitoring for over a year, and was seeking out funders to help purchase the specialized machinery, which “runs in the million-dollar type of investment.” 

He connected with Sio Silica when the company visited several research groups in the university’s engineering department and took an interest in his project, later agreeing to sponsor the research.

Hans-Joachim Wieden, the university’s associate vice-president for partnership, knowledge mobilization and innovation, said these kinds of industry partnerships are critical to maximize the impact of the institution’s research. Support from the private sector helps fill gaps in federal research funding, gives students valuable job experience and provides a pathway for research to make a tangible impact in communities.

“We, as the university, are interested in doing industry collaboration … for the benefits it holds for the students, for the researchers and for the communities we are in,” Wieden said.

On top of its financial contribution, Sio Silica plans to share groundwater monitoring data from its mine site with the university to help model and understand the aquifer as a complete system. Devlin noted the company envisions a long-term partnership that could include helping build out the university’s hydrology department.

“The work is not a localized mitigation exercise, it’s a foundational reset in how aquifers are understood,” she said of Mantilla’s research.

Julia-Simone Rutgers is a reporter covering environmental issues in Manitoba. Her position is part of a partnership between The Narwhal and the Winnipeg Free Press.

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