Keowee Nuclear Hothole Report

[Quetzal]

Went to the Hothole Sunday for the 1st time. Had a blast riding the outflow and then circleing back in the backwash. Water temps where around 75. Not as warm as I expected but I guess that is a year round temp? For those who don't know what this underwater water park is, I'll try to descibe.
Its the glowing green warm water from the nuclear plant that flows into Lake Keowee. You get into the current and ride it out at about 30 feet deep and then swin 90 degrees to the right at 40 feet and ride the backwash back to where you started. Great fun. I guess its safe or theoretically they wouldn't be pumping the stuff back into the lake.
But does anyone know for sure what the "gigor" "spelling wrong I know" count, or however they rate that stuff, is?

 

[El Orans]

Well, do you still need a dive light?

 

[herman]

If you are asking how radioactive the water is due to the plant, the answer is none above the normal backround for the area. That is Oconee plant if I am thinking about the right place. If it is, that's a PWR (pressurized water reactor) and basically if the plant is up and running the condenser water is just warmed lake water. I would bet if geiger counter reading were taken, your after dive beer has a higher radioactive count than the discharge water. I spent 4 years in nuke power plant operations for Duke Power who runs Oconee and 4 more years in the engineering dept of another utility.

 

[Darin]

You're kidding, right...?

 

[fmw625]

The water coming out of the plant was used to cool the steam leaving the turbine. This is done in the condencer. This water never touches anything nuclear. It's just warmed lake water as described.

 

[Darin]

The water coming out of the plant was used to cool the steam leaving the turbine. This is done in the condencer. This water never touches anything nuclear. It's just warmed lake water as described.

True, but in order for something to be "radioactive" is gives off particles. I think there would be a certain amount of radiation received by the water as it passed in close proximity to radioactive material. Unless they cool the steam through what is it, two feet of concrete?

I know, I know, I'm probably overeacting. (get it reacting?) But I grew up just a few short miles from Hanford and my mother was a "Downwinder" and we hear all of the horror stories and such.

Anyway, have fun diving in the outflow. You'll probably die at a ripe old age. Look at Mcluskey.


Darin

 

[Quetzal]

Hey Herman what happened a couple weeks ago. I never heard back.

 

[fmw625]

Actually the steam that is condensed in non-radioactive since the plant is a PWR Reactor. Turbine steam comes from steam generators not reactor water.

 

[archman]

Cooling water is not radioactive in the least. This is one of the most common public misconceptions regarding nuclear power plants. This myth is maintained by the media and less reputable environmental groups as a scare tactic.

 

[Firefyter]

Cooling water is not radioactive in the least. This is one of the most common public misconceptions regarding nuclear power plants. This myth is maintained by the media and less reputable environmental groups as a scare tactic.

Exactly. Even if it were exposed to the radiation, it wouldn't necessarily be contaminated. People often confuse exposed with contaminated. Gamma rays will pass through most anything without contaminating it, unless the emitter itself lands on it or in it. Most of the vacuum packed foods you eat have been irradiated to kill whatever germs were in there before they sealed it, and there are no harmful effects. Ignorance feeds fear, and some folks just count you being ignorant.