Key water security issues are broken down into three main categories: water quality, water quantity, and social impacts. In mine water issues, water quality often supersedes quantity, as other industries, particularly agricultural, consume more water. Quantity issues related to mining may still arise in areas with unstable water resources and poor mine water management. These issues may contribute to the drawdown of the water table and downstream drought and thereby limit resources for local communities. Regulatory approaches for mitigation include requirements for detailed management plans, site audits, optimized water usage plans, technological upgrades, and accounting for seasonal variability and climate change in mine water management planning. Quality issues are often the area of main concern for mine process-affected waters. The three main categories of concern for mining water quality are acidification, sedimentation, and contamination by other deleterious substances. These effects can be mitigated through proactive assessment and modelling; external review of detailed operation plans, including closure planning; and regulations that set trigger values for endpoints associated with contamination. Water-related social issues linked to mine establishment often include concern about the scarcity and degradation of available water resources. Main concerns include unequal distribution of water support systems, effects on the environment and associated traditional livelihoods, inadequate regulations and/or enforcement of such, and the potential effects causing displacement of established settlements. Ensuring the accessibility of data, transparency in reporting, communication between all stakeholders, and accountability to a government or another nonindustry organization can help build trust within communities. For more information on water security issues and how governments may address each area of concern. Participatory monitoring programs (PMPs) are a key step in building the aforementioned trust between communities, governments, and industry. PMPs are a collaborative method that governments can implement within environmental regulations as a means of ensuring the collection, analysis, and communication results of a water monitoring or environmental effects monitoring program. PMPs are most effective when they begin at the earliest possible stage of mining development and may include established lines of communication moderated by a neutral party, regular committee meetings that invite and include concerns and ideas from the community, or community members participating directly in the development and execution of the monitoring programs. When enacted thoughtfully, PMPs increase the sense of agency within a community, business-climate stability for the company, and support for governments. The overarching benefits can be best described as linking iterative engagement to community, industry, and regulatory acceptance.