TP26-08 Alternative Water Impacts to Power Plant Cooling Water Systems

With projected surges in electricity demand, driven in part by the rapid construction of data centers for artificial intelligence, the power sector is expected to grow substantially in the coming years. Expansion of power plants will also increase the need for plant cooling, which traditionally relies on fresh surface water or groundwater sources. However, these conventional sources are becoming increasingly difficult to access due to permitting challenges, degrading water quality, and limited physical availability in certain regions. As access to conventional water sources becomes more difficult, power plants may consider the use of alternative water sources, such as municipal wastewater. This presentation will cover the topic of choosing different water types, and what factors to consider regarding site-specific cooling system treatment. Additionally, the talk will discuss learnings that EPRI has documented from power plants that currently use treatment municipal wastewater as a source for their cooling, fire, and/or demin water (Case Studies of Power Plants Using Municipal Effluent as an Alternative Water Source). This will include both treatment impacts of alternative water on cooling systems, as well as physical implications, such as the lack of intake systems and corresponding CWA section 316(b) regulations for sites that utilize pipelines to transport alternative water onsite. Finally, the presentation will wrap up by demonstrating EPRI’s publicly available, GIS-based planning tool that allows users to identify alternative water sources that are geographically positioned for reuse by power generation assets. The tool aims to support the identification of water reuse opportunities within the Power sector, inform infrastructure planning decisions, and provide a foundation for water management strategies within the power sector.