The Water-Energy Nexus in Arizona Water Reuse at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Henry Day Water Resource Management Leader Arizona Public Service Company July 27, 2015 1
Arizona Public Service Company Investor-owned regulated public utility 126 years old 6500 employees Operate power plants with 10,600 MW generating capacity 33,000 miles transmission 1.3 million customers Own/operate 9 power plants 1 nuclear, 2 coal, 6 gas-fired Renewable portfolio PV solar, solar-thermal, wind 2 2
2014 Water Use by Type Ground water 3% Ground water 17% Effluent 97% Effluent 68% Surface Water 15% Palo Verde 2014 Water Use = 73,071 AF MWH = 32,323,543 Total APS 2014 Water Use = 112,080 AF MWH = 53,474,908 3 3
1.6 billion people a quarter of humanity live without electricity 4 4 www.globalssues.org
1.1 billion people live without access to freshwater 5 5
Regional Water Resources...requirements of the CO River Compact may only be met 60 75% of the time by 2025... (IPCC Technical Report on Water, 2008) Projected % change in runoff (2041 2060) 6 6
As drought grips most of U.S., Arizona endures 12th year Jul. 19, 2012 10:48 PM The Arizona Republic and USA Today 7 7
Arizona Water-Energy History 1970 s - Wastewater had a bad image, low value, limited use. Developing Arizona needed reliable, inexpensive power and a way to reuse reclaimed water, freeing other higher quality water supplies for growth. The electric and water utilities had foresight to understand this need. But there was a challenge in building the largest nuclear power plant in the US in the desert - uncertainty in building where no large body of water was available this had never been done. 8 8 8
Cooling Water Options Were Evaluated Groundwater Sustainability Subsidence issues Surface Water Limited accessibility Supply fully appropriated Effluent Adequate supply Reliable and sustainable Not being utilized in 1973 Photo Source-Land Subsidence near Phoenix AZ, courtesy ADWR 9 9
Commitment to Reclaimed Water Palo Verde was the first and remains the only nuclear power facility in the world that uses 100% reclaimed water for cooling Unlike other nuclear plants, Palo Verde maintains Zero Discharge, meaning no water is discharged to rivers, streams, or oceans Palo Verde/SROG is an excellent example of a water-energy partnership 10 10 10
Palo Verde Concept presented to APS Board of Directors in 1969 Water sources evaluated and tested effluent contract with SROG in 1973 Initial construction permit May 1976 Began commercial operation Unit 1: January 1986 Unit 2: September 1986 Unit 3: January 1988 11 11
Palo Verde Largest power generator in the U.S. Total output 4,030 net megawatts Meets the electrical needs of approximately 4 million people 12 12
Palo Verde Participants Public Service Co. of New Mexico (10.2%) El Paso Electric (15.8%) So. California Public Power Authority (5.91%) Purchased from SRP Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power (5.7%) Purchased from SRP APS (29.1%) So. California Edison Co. (15.8%) Purchased from Tucson Electric SRP (17.49%) 13 13
91st Avenue WWTP Capacity 229,000 AFY Treating 151,000 AFY 65,000 75,000 AFY to Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (Additional 5,000 AFY from Cities of Tolleson and Goodyear) 30,000 AFY to Buckeye Irrigation District 28,500 AFY to Tres Rios Wet Lands 14
Average Annual Flow MGD Average Annual Raw (MGD) 155 150 145 140 MGD 135 130 125 120 115 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Year 15 15
Hourly Flow - MGD Average Hourly Influent Raw 200 180 160 140 120 100 MGD 80 60 40 20 Palo Verde Peak Demand 0 0:00 5:00 10:00 15:00 20:00 1:00 6:00 11:00 16:00 21:00 2:00 7:00 12:00 17:00 22:00 3:00 8:00 13:00 18:00 23:00 4:00 9:00 14:00 19:00 0:00 5:00 10:00 15:00 20:00 1:00 6:00 11:00 16:00 21:00 7/16/12 7/17/12 7/18/12 7/19/12 7/20/12 7/21/12 7/22/12 16 16
Palo Verde Verde Nuclear Generating Station Water Reclamation Facility Water Reclamation Facility 17 17
Conveyance System 28.5 miles (46 Km) of gravity flow with 100 foot elevation drop, 8 miles (13 Km) pumped flow with 150 foot elevation increase Phoenix-area Wastewater Treatment Plants 6 miles (9.5 Km) 114 gravity flow pipe 8 miles (12.8 Km) 66 pressure flow pipe Hassayampa Pump Station 22.5 miles (36.2 Km) 96 gravity flow pipe 18 18
WRF Treatment Process The Palo Verde Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) is a 90 MGD tertiary treatment plant that reclaims treated secondary effluent from the local cities. 19 19
Water Reclamation Facility Flow Path Cooling Towers Reject heat load from nuclear Units 85-acre Reservoir Gravity Filters Suspended solids captured Clarifiers Phosphates, Magnesium, Silica and Calcium removed Trickling Filters Reduce ammonia and alkalinity 45-acre Reservoir Underground Pipeline Delivers effluent to Palo Verde 20 20 20
Water Use 2014 cooling water Intensity 734 gallons/mwh 2014 cooling water use 73,071 acre feet ~23.8 Billion Gallons Cooling Water cycles 24 25,000 29,000 TDS PPM (air quality standards limit PV to 30,000 ppm TDS) 21 21
Water Disposal Cooling tower blowdown (annual rate/unit) 352 million gallons 1,082 Acre Feet Evaporation rate 60 72 inches/yr 3,250 3,900 AF/yr Note redundancy in impoundments, allows for relining in 20 years 22 22
License Renewal 2067 2066 2065 2047 2027 2046 2026 2045 2025 23 23
Drivers for New Effluent Contract The 1973 effluent contract with the SROG Cities would terminate in 2025 (Unit 1), 2026 (Unit 2), and 2027 (Unit 3) In December 2008, APS submitted operating license renewal applications, which was approved and extends the operating life of Palo Verde through 2047 Securing alternative water supplies would require significant time and funding APS was determined to proactively secure a long-term water supply for Palo Verde now rather than wait 24 24 24
Summary of Essential Contract Terms Term 2010 through 2050 Includes an opportunity to negotiate an extension to the contract for an additional 20 years through 2070 Quantity: 80,000 acre-feet (AF) per year Reduction of 25,000 AF from quantity of 105,000 AF under 1973 contract Establishes new monthly minimum supply requirements 25 25 25
Looking Forward Educate both water and energy consumers of the relationship between water and energy Employ more efficient water use strategies such as dry or hybrid cooling towers Participate in water and energy efficiency research efforts Utilize treated effluent and impaired waters when practical Increase renewables portfolio and energy efficiency to reduce overall water intensity 26 26
Water & Energy for the Future 27 27 27