GROUND-WATER USE FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

Abstract. The uses of water for nuclear power plants consist of the following: service water, emergency cooling water, domestic (potable, sanitary), construction, and fire fighting. The quantity of water for these various uses may range from 10 gpm (0.63 1/s) for domestic supplies to greater than 100,000 gpm (6309 1/s) for service water and emergency cooling water supplies. Historically, the source of water for nuclear power plant use has been surface-water bodies, such as rivers, lakes, oceans, and man-made canals. Ground-water sources have supplied relatively small quantities of water for plant use, mainly domestic and construction supplies. A survey of 123 nuclear power plant sites which are either built, under construction, or planned, revealed that about 3 percent of all plant water supplies is derived from ground-water sources. Presently, four nuclear power plants intend to use ground water in relatively large quantities (as service water and emergency cooling water). Two of these plants will use ground water via induced infiltration from radial collector wells, and the other two plants intend to withdraw ground water from deep wells (1,000 feet) from a confined aquifer. Another plant, under construction, intends to use sewage effluent which is originally derived from a combination of surface and ground water.