Atlanta based electric utility Georgia Power has received water discharge permit for the Vogtle nuclear expansion in Burke County near Waynesboro.
Issued by the by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), the approval was given under the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), a permit program designed to control water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the country.
According to Georgia Power the permit is a major milestone for the new nuclear units 3 and 4, which will join the existing two Vogtle units already in operation.
The expansion is expected help power more than one million homes and businesses.
Georgia Power claims that it returns around 90% of the water it withdraws for power production in the state.
Apart from setting guidelines for monitoring and reporting the water condition, the NPDES permit also authorizes the discharge of clean water used in power production back into the Savannah River.
The company said that it will use cooling towers to reduce the volume of water used to operate the plant, which is expected to provide an additional environmental benefit by regulating the temperature of the water returned to the river.
Alabama based Southern Nuclear has been given the responsibility to overseeing construction and operation of the new units on behalf of Georgia Power.
