Water use plan update

Power plants like Santan use water during the cooling process. The cooling tower evaporation process is the primary consumer of water.

Two water supply alternatives were presented to the Arizona Power Plant & Transmission Line Siting Committee. The Arizona Department of Water Resources reviewed both water supply alternatives and found "both acceptable and either should be able to meet the water requirements from the Santan Expansion Project."

SRP elected to pursue the use of excess surface water from the Central Arizona Project (CAP). The plant uses CAP water supplies both directly and through the recovery of storage credits. Storage credits are achieved by first storing the CAP water supplies in the underground aquifer.

SRP and the Central Arizona Water Conservation District signed an agreement providing for the delivery of excess CAP water. SRP intends to store this water in the Granite Reef Underground Storage Project and the New River–Agua Fria Underground Storage Project for future use at the Santan Generating Station. To date, SRP has stored approximately 150,000 acre feet (1 acre foot equals 325,851 gallons) of excess CAP water for future recovery and use at the plant.

Creative options for water use means the plant's water consumption is environmentally sound and cost-effective.