Water Management Practices of South African Electricity Power Plants

Abstract

South African (SA) power plants are experiencing several challenges when managing water usage and containing it within their clean and dirty water dams (leading to water wastage and pollution). Numerous reasons have been provided to explain the increased water usage. However, the key issue is understanding the causes of high-water use that leads to dam overflows and pollution of the natural water streams/rivers and groundwater system. The main aim of this research, thus, sought to establish the causes of high-water usage in thermal power plants in South Africa. The objective to identify where and how water wastage occurs in the system, any variations from the power plants' standard operating procedures (SOPs) contributing to water wastage and finally, recommend solutions to address the gaps. Qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews at two power plants (namely Power Plant 1 and Power Plant 2) to provide an understanding and detailed information on water use at thermal power plants in South Africa. The standard operating procedures and policies that govern and control water processes were analysed. As a result, the study showed that the most significant cause that came out of the interviews was leadership, followed by financial constraints, negligence (of the plant and water) and lastly, maintenance. Water management is failing and needs to be improved, with the primary challenges being maintenance and a lack of leadership decision-making. Further research on the remaining power plants will be required to determine the generalisability of the findings.