Once the water that comes down from the mine to the port with the concentrates is separated from the minerals, it is pumped through a filter plant that removes all remaining metallic contents and converts it into type III water, making it suitable for irrigation purposes. This water then goes through an additional filter prior to being used for irrigation.

The water is then treated to further enrich its quality prior to irrigating plants in the reforestation project Antamina has implemented in Huarmey. Fertilizers and certain chemical products are injected into the mechanical irrigation system to keep micro-organisms from growing.

The project, which uses both native and exotic plants, covers approximately 174 acres. It includes more than 190,000 trees, an alfalfa field and a live fence that runs around the perimeter.

Species cultivated in the project include: algarrobo tree, acacia, Peruvian carob gum tree, salt cedar, eucalyptus, Chilean palo verde, wild tamarind shrub, pacae or ice cream beans, ponciana tree, pepper tree, casuarinaceae shrub, myoporum ground cover, Sapindus sp, tara shrub, cypress, sapote, laurel, plum and alfalfa.

Today, what once was a desert is a small forest due to planning and optimization of resources. It is a forest that serves as lungs for the town of Huarmey and clearly demonstrates that it is possible to achieve a healthy relationship between mining, farming and fishing. Contrary to what people originally thought, Antamina does not dump the waste coming from the pipeline into the ocean but recycles and processes it, giving the operation a sustainable value.