Water

Reservoirs and natural waterways supply water for our power plants. As with any natural resource, we strive to use water responsibly.

Electricity generation requires large amounts of water to produce steam, remove heat, or power hydroelectric turbines. Some of the water naturally evaporates — what you see rising out of the large cooling towers at power plants is water vapor. Some of the water at power plants is cooled and reused. Most of the water is returned back to its source.

Click to enlarge and view as PDF. (Online charts updated through 2006.)

Environmental concerns regarding water principally relate to the quantity of water withdrawn and consumed from rivers and lakes, the quality of the water returned to the source, and any effects on aquatic life. While Southern Company power plants withdraw, on average, more than 6 billion gallons of water per day, about 96 percent of that water is returned to the river or lake.

Intakes
In early 2004, the EPA finalized a new rule, known as the 316(b) Phase II Regulations, to protect fish and other aquatic life that might be affected by cooling water intake structures at existing power plants. As a result, Southern Company is conducting biological studies to identify how different aquatic species are affected by plant operations. To preserve aquatic species, we are evaluating options such as intake barrier nets, strobe lights, acoustic systems, and restoration.

Discharges
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System controls water quality by regulating point source discharges into U.S. waterways. Southern Company power plants have permits for water discharges within agreed levels for pH, suspended solids, oil and grease, chlorine, temperature, iron, and other parameters. Typical permitted discharges include cooling water, ash ponds, coal pile runoff ponds, metal cleaning waste ponds, sump overflows, and oil/water separators. These points are monitored or sampled periodically in accordance with permit requirements. When exceedances occur, they must be reported and may result in fines. Southern Company's goal is first to prevent exceedances, but if they occur, to quickly remedy them and bring discharges back within agreed limits.