Xcel Energy: Water Leak Contained at Nuclear Power Plant

(KNSI) – Authorities are working to contain a water leak detected at the Monticello Nuclear Power Plant.

On Thursday, Xcel Energy reported a water leak was found during routine groundwater monitoring on November 22nd and reported the leak to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that same day. Xcel Energy identified the source of the leak as a water pipe running between two buildings.

The company has since coordinated regularly with state and federal regulators and local officials. Xcel claims they took swift action to contain the leak to the plant site, which poses no health and safety risk to the local community or environment.

The company has been pumping, storing, and processing the water for reuse, which contains tritium levels below the NRC safety thresholds. Tritium is a compound naturally present in the environment and is commonly created in the operation of nuclear power plants. It emits low levels of radiation, similar to everyday materials people use and the food we all eat. Xcel says it has recovered about 25% of the tritium released and will continue recovery over the next year. The company tells officials they will install a permanent solution in the spring of 2023.

According to company officials, over two dozen on-site monitoring wells confirms the leak is contained and has not been detected in local drinking water. State agencies continue to monitor Xcel Energy’s remediation work to ensure the local community’s and surrounding environment’s continued safety.

The company will also examine the one pipe that leaked in a laboratory to better understand why this happened and ensure it does not encounter the same issue moving forward.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency the leak has been stopped and has not reached the Mississippi River, and there is no evidence at this time to indicate a risk to any drinking water wells in the vicinity of the plant. The MPCA says about 400,000 gallons of the water containing tritium leaked.

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