Xcel Energy reported on steps taken to contain and manage a water leak detected by routine groundwater monitoring systems at its Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant late last year. Xcel Energy took swift action to contain the leak to the plant site, which poses no health and safety risk to the local community or the environment. 

Xcel Energy notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as well as the state on Nov. 22, 2022, the day the leak was confirmed. The company has since coordinated regularly with state and federal regulators, as well as local officials. The company has been pumping, storing, and processing the water for reuse, which contains levels of tritium that are below the NRC safety thresholds. Tritium is a compound that is 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.  

Ongoing monitoring from over two dozen on-site monitoring wells confirms that the leaked water is fully contained on-site and has not been detected beyond the facility or in any local drinking water. State agencies continue to monitor Xcel Energy’s remediation work to ensure the continued safety of the local community and surrounding environment.

“We have taken comprehensive measures to address this situation on-site at the plant. While this leak does not pose a risk to the public or the environment, we take this very seriously and are working to safely address the situation,” said Chris Clark, president of Xcel Energy–Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. “We continue to gather and treat all potentially affected water while regularly monitoring nearby groundwater sources. We will continue to partner with local groundwater specialists, and we remain in close cooperation with state and federal regulators and our local community throughout the remediation effort.” 

To date, Xcel Energy has recovered about 25% of the tritium released and will continue recovery over the course of the next year. 

Xcel Energy identified the source of the leak as a water pipe running between two buildings. To contain the leak, the facility is diverting the water to an in-plant water treatment system, preventing additional water from leaving the plant, and will install a permanent solution in the spring of 2023. A thorough inspection was conducted of all piping in all locations where a leak could occur, to verify that no other area of the facility was facing this issue. The company will also be examining the one pipe that did leak in a laboratory to better understand why this happened. These findings will help Xcel Energy ensure it does not encounter the same issue moving forward. (ILKHA)