Water

Water plays an important part in electricity generation. The main water issues at Loy Yang Power are reducing the vast amounts of water used by the power station and mine, and improving the quality of the waste water discharged into Traralgon Creek.

Water Quantity

Large amounts of water are used by Loy Yang Power, especially in its steam production and cooling. The four main sources of water for Loy Yang Power are:

Water drawn from the Latrobe River.
Rainwater.
Groundwater from the extensive aquifer system under the mine*.
Water bought from the Moondarra water catchment.

*An aquifer is a sponge-like layer of sand, gravel or rock which holds water underground. Groundwater must be removed from the aquifer to balance the weight of coal and overburden removed during mining. If not, the upward pressure would be too high and the mine would be unstable and unsafe.

Cooling towers

Use of water	Source	Impacts	Actions
Fire service system Fire-prevention sprays are located throughout the mine pit to keep the surface damp. (When coal is exposed to air it dries out rapidly to form a highly flammable dust).	Rainwater is collected in the mine and pumped to a storage reservoir.	None	This water is mostly recycled.
Cleaning and maintenance of mining equipment	Rainwater is collected in the mine and pumped to a storage reservoir.	None	This water is mostly recycled.
Steam production Water is turned into steam in the boilers to make electricity (see Mining and Processing)	3.2 megalitres per day of clean water is obtained from the Moondarra water reservoir, then further purified at Loy Yang Power.	Consumption of water.	Some of the boiler water is lost as steam, but most is recycled by being cooled and condensed back into water for re-use in the boilers (See Water cooling system).
Water cooling system Water is needed to cool the steam and thus condense it back into water for re-use in the boilers. This is achieved by passing the steam over condenser tubes containing cold water. In taking heat from the steam, this cold water in the tubes warms up. To make it cold again, it is passed through the 'cooling towers' where it is cooled by circulating air.	87 megalitres per day are drawn from the Latrobe River, plus 20 megalitres per day of groundwater is extracted from the mine aquifer.	This is a very large consumption of water. 85% is lost as steam from the cooling towers. Taking water from the Latrobe River and releasing water into Traralgon Creek affects normal flows, which can have a negative effect on the flora and fauna living in and around the water.	15% of this cooling water falls to the ponds at the base of the cooling towers and is recycled. Amount of discharge water is kept below EPA limits.
Transporting ash Water is used to carry ash from the power stations to the ash pond (see Waste).	Recycled water from the ash pond.	None	This water is largely recycled but when the volume of water builds up, the excess is pumped to the sea via a pipeline. It has similar properties to seawater.
Power station cleaning and maintenance	Recycled water taken from the water cooling tower system.	Is later discharged into Traralgon Creek, which affects its normal flow.	Discharge water volumes are kept below EPA limits.

Alternative uses for waste water are being looked at, including irrigation and stock drinking water during drought conditions.