Fresno California Testing Feasibility of Using Municipal Effluent To Cool Nuclear Generators
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 09.28.07
The Fresno California City Council has, by a 4-2 vote, approved the testing of Fresno wastewater effluent for the purpose of cooling nuclear power plant process water.
"Supporters said the vote wasn't an endorsement for building a nuclear power plant in Fresno. The testing will simply determine whether a plant can be cooled with effluent from the city's waste-water treatment plant in southwest Fresno, they said. The council voted 4-2 to allow the testing, which will give the nuclear plant's backers access to the waste-water treatment plant to conduct tests. The tests are expected to take four years and will cost up to $4 million, said John Hutson, who heads Fresno Nuclear Energy Group LLC, the project's backers.""Palo Verde, a nuclear generation plant near Phoenix, uses waste water from nearby cities as a cooling agent. As a result, it's the only nuclear power plant in the country that doesn't sit on a large body of water, according to its operator."
Obviously, wastewater that is further heated by a power plant is less suitable for discharge back into natural streams containing fish and wildlife. If the wastewater is consumed by evaporative cooling towers, as it clearly is in the Palo Verde photo, that water will not be recharging groundwater, making it a complete consumptive loss. There are always tradeoffs.
Better hope there aren't too many condominiums in the effluent, should there be a treatment upset down at the turdwrestling system.
Via::FresnoBee Image credit::Palo Verde Reactor complex, Chemistry Land
I love Fresno. The thought of a dangerous nuclear plant in the dry arid landscape of Fresno is almost laughable. Fresno could easily meet is energy needs by going with conservation, solar, and wind power. Nucs are not sustainable, reliable, or renewable.
Talk about a convergence of two stinky ideas....
However hot effluent isn't really a problem. Send it first through a marsh system as is done in Arcata.
Of course Aracata leave out the glow in the dark part....
@ Martin
How are solar and wind reliable? Nuclear power in recent years has operated at an average of 89% of peak capacity. In my book that is pretty reliable.
Something very horrible is in the works here in Fresno, CA with respect to our water supply. The illegal altering of the city water system has been going on behind our backs for 40+/- yrs. It appears that our water is about to be re-routed, which may explain the "water shortage." See www.myspace.com/marlalk and http://blog.myspace.com/marlalk
Nuclear is green current power plants use coal so we get much much more exposure to nuclear fallouts from coal burning that possiblity of any accident. Furthermore we haven't had any accedent that material leaked to outside invironment. I support that not only we could use the energy but we can sell it to out southern and northern neighbors.