Water level in Zaporizhzhia NPP cooling pond drops to 15.72 m - Energoatom

As of today, October 16, the water level in the cooling pond at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is at 15.72 m. compared to 15.74 m as of October 13.

The National Nuclear Energy Generating Company Energoatom reported this on its website, according to Ukrinform.

"As of 08:00 on October 16, a slight decrease in the water level in the cooling pond was recorded. Currently, it is at 15.72 m," the report says.

On October 13, the water level in the Zaporizhzhia NPP cooling pond was at 15.74 m.

As of October 16, the water level in the thermal power plant’s “hot” channel, from where the ZNPP pond is fed if necessary, is at the level of 16.78 m. Energoatom noted that the water level in the canal has not dropped significantly recently: its indicators are no longer dependent on the Kakhovka Reservoir.  The water level in the "cold" channel is at the level of 10.77 m.

It is noted that the situation remains stable and under control.

As reported, on June 6, 2023, Russian invaders blew up the Kakhovka HPP dam, destroying the Kakhovka reservoir - the source of water for the ZNPP cooling pond. Energoatom has developed an algorithm of measures for the operation of the plant and personnel in case of water of the Kakhovka reservoir is not enough to feed the cooling pond.

ZNPP power units have not been operating since September 2022, therefore, active evaporation of water from the cooling pond has not occurred since then.

Photo credit: Fredrik Dahl / IAEA