Patrick Williamson, Principal Hydrogeochemist at INTERA, was invited by the organizer of the 2nd Medellin Gold Symposium to speak about water-related risks to mining companies. His talk focused on the financial, reputational, operational, and environmental risks associated with water usage by mines, best practices for water stewardship by mines, and the technical aspects of aquifer and waste rock characterization required to maintain social license with local communities. His presentation was highlighted as one of the most pertinent to current challenges in Colombia gold mining and was featured in a special report in the Medellin Herald. After the symposium, Patrick visited Red Eagle’s San Ramon project and Cordoba Mineral’s San Matias project to learn about the unique challenges of water management and community issues in the Colombian mining sector. Patrick will be speaking at the 2018 Medellin Gold Symposium and will present a short course on best practices for water and waste rock management at precious metal mines.