Overview
ISO 22932-9:2025 - "Mining - Vocabulary - Part 9: Drainage" is an international vocabulary standard that defines the commonly used terms related to mine drainage. Published by ISO/TC 82, this part of the ISO 22932 series harmonizes language used in groundwater and dewatering topics for mining operations, reducing ambiguity in technical reports, design documents, contracts and regulatory submissions.
Key topics and technical coverage
The standard focuses on terminology rather than prescriptive design requirements. Key topics covered include:
- Ground water - definitions for concepts such as aquifer, aquifuge, water table, zone of saturation, zone of aeration, piezometric surface and related terms used in subsurface hydrology.
- Drainage planning - vocabulary for planning and layout including pumping head, pump lift (note: the standard records theoretical and practical lift examples), pump load, booster station, hogger pump, and terms for drainage patterns and water reactions.
- Pumps - standardized names and terms covering pump types and aspects:
- Centrifugal pumps
- Air-displacement (airlift) pumps
- Reciprocating pumps (includes terms like pump slip)
- Operation and performance terminology and components of pumping systems.
- Drainage installation - terms for physical installations such as sump, main pump, pipelines, drainage systems, and measures for prevention of water entering the mine and prevention of mine water contamination.
The document is a vocabulary (no normative references) and contains indexed terms to support consistent use of language.
Practical applications - who uses this standard
ISO 22932-9:2025 is primarily useful to professionals and organizations that require consistent terminology for mine water management:
- Mining engineers and dewatering designers - for clear specification and communication of drainage system components and performance terms.
- Hydrogeologists and groundwater specialists - to align subsurface hydrology terms with mining practice.
- Contractors and equipment suppliers - to avoid misunderstandings in tenders and technical supply contracts.
- Safety, environmental and regulatory teams - to ensure consistent language in compliance reports and environmental impact assessments.
- Technical authors and trainers - to produce standards-aligned manuals, training materials and documentation.
Using a standardized vocabulary supports clearer contracts, fewer design errors, better cross-disciplinary collaboration, and improved regulatory and environmental reporting.
Related standards and resources
- ISO 22932 series - other parts in the mining vocabulary series cover additional mining disciplines.
- ISO Online Browsing Platform and ISO/TC 82 publications - for the full list of terms and related parts in the series.
Keywords: ISO 22932-9, mine drainage, mining vocabulary, drainage planning, pumps, groundwater, dewatering, mining standards.
