Abstract: Due to the large number of Chinese-funded mining enterprises in the vicinity of a large�scale sulfur-oxygen mixed copper mine abroad，the water resources are tight. In order to solve the dilemma of large water load in the dry season，a small-scale experimental study was carried out in the laboratory for front return water utilization（concentrate dense overflow water and pressing water）. Through the comparison of indicators and the dosage of reagents，a good field application effect was finally obtained. After nearly half a year of production data tracking，the use of front return water not only effectively solved the water demand of the whole flotation process，but also significantly reduced the unit consumption of key reagents on site un⁃ der the condition of beneficiation index stabilizing，and the corresponding power cost was controlled，with remarkable economic benefits.

Key words: sulfur-oxygen mixed copper mine, front return water utilization, experimental studies, achievements transformation