CenterPoint Energy’s facilities are geographically located in areas that are not prone to droughts or water scarcity issues that would cause operational slow-downs or shortages experienced by utilities located in water-stressed regions of the country. However, we use water responsibly to minimize impacts on local water resources and proactively consider both water availability and quality in our planning and ongoing operations.
Guided by our internal Water Management Policy and in line with our focus on sustainable operations, our water-related priorities include:
- Complying with environmental laws and regulations and working with regulatory agencies;
- Making water conservation and protection an important part of our planning and risk management processes;
- Improving the water efficiency of our operations to conserve, recycle and reuse water;
- Considering water management and conservation technologies when building facilities to manage stormwater runoff and control water pollution;
- Reducing effluent concentrations in our water discharges by using new technologies;
- Decreasing water use for power generation by 70% by 2035 as we replace our coal-fired power plants;
- Tracking and reporting water metrics through key performance indicators, such as water withdrawal, discharge and consumption;
- Meeting federal and state regulations for water discharge quality to protect receiving water bodies;
- Communicating with government agencies and other stakeholder groups to encourage responsible regulations to protect water;
- Promptly investigating and correcting water quality incidents related to our operations;
- Providing access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for our employees; and
- Supporting community projects focused on maintaining a clean water supply.
In our Indiana electric utility operations, water is withdrawn from the Ohio River and groundwater sources to support our power plant operations in this water-rich region.
The withdrawn water is mainly used for non-contact cooling water and potable needs, while recirculated water is used for ash transport and process water in the scrubbers. Water is discharged following any necessary treatment to meet regulatory requirements and minimize impacts. Most contact storm water is routed through the plants and treated prior to its discharge. Treatment can include an oily water separator, settling ponds and a physical-chemical treatment system that is optimized for mercury removal.
Water discharge is monitored regularly, as required by National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits. If water impacts are detected, the facility works with appropriate parties to determine the cause and implement corrective and preventive measures as quickly as possible.
- F.B. Culley facility: Water withdrawal is calculated using circulating temperature and flow data.
As CenterPoint Energy’s electric generation portfolio transitions over the next few years with the retirement of coal-fired generation, our water withdrawal and consumption are expected to decrease.
After completion of the following planned activities, we expect all non-stormwater effluent to be eliminated from our electric generation system:
2023:
- Completed a Zero Liquid Discharge wastewater treatment system for the Culley 3 coal-fired unit
- Retired the A.B. Brown coal-fired units 1 and 2, which reduces our water consumption by approximately 2,000 million gallons annually. We also exited our ownership of Warrick unit 4
2025:
- Plan to retire the Culley 2 coal unit
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