FINAL Engineering Site Visit Report for 

Georgia Power’s Plant Wansley 

Roopville, GA 

Prepared for:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Engineering and Analysis Division

Office of Water 

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue 

Washington, DC 20004 

Prepared by:

Eastern Research Group, Inc. 

14555 Avion Parkway 

Suite 200 

Chantilly, VA 20151-1102 

June 27, 2007 

EPA Contract No. 68-C02-095 

Work Assignment 4-22
i

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

1.0 SITE VISITED AND DATE .......................................................................................... 1 

2.0 ATTENDEES.............................................................................................................. 1 

3.0 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES.............................................................................. 1 

4.0 PLANT DESCRIPTION................................................................................................ 2 

5.0 PLANT OPERATIONS................................................................................................. 3 

5.1 Coal Preparation.......................................................................................... 4 

5.2 Boiler Operation.......................................................................................... 4 

5.3 Selective Catalytic Reduction Operation.................................................... 5 

5.4 Particulate Control ...................................................................................... 6 

5.5 Biofouling Control...................................................................................... 7 

5.6 Metal Cleaning Operations......................................................................... 7 

6.0 WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT ................................................................................. 8 

6.1 Coal Pile Runoff ......................................................................................... 8 

6.2 Metal Cleaning Waste................................................................................. 9 

6.3 Low-Volume Waste.................................................................................. 11 

6.4 Cooling Tower Blowdown........................................................................ 11 

6.5 Ash Transport Water................................................................................. 12 

6.6 Final Effluent ............................................................................................ 12 

7.0 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................... 13 

Appendix A LIST OF ATTENDEES 

Appendix B PICTURES FROM SITE VISIT 

Appendix C AMMONIA MONITORING DATA PROVIDED BY PLANT WANSLEY 
ii

LIST OF TABLES 

Page 

A-1 List of Attendees................................................................................................. A-1 

C-1 Plant Wansley Ammonia Data.............................................................................C-1 
iii

LIST OF FIGURES 

Page 

6-1 Wastewater Flow Diagram for Plant Wansley.......................................................10 

B-1 Coal Pile at Plant Wansley...................................................................................B-1 

B-2 Coal Pile Runoff Pond at Plant Wansley .............................................................B-1 

B-3 Low-Volume Waste Basin at Plant Wansley.......................................................B-2 

B-4 Bottom and Fly Ash Sluice Water at Plant Wansley ...........................................B-2 

B-5 Retention Pond at Plant Wansley.........................................................................B-3 

B-6 Final Effluent Discharge from Plant Wansley.....................................................B-3 
1.0 SITE VISITED AND DATE

Georgia Power’s Plant Wansley 

Liberty Church Road 

Roopville, GA 30170 

December 11, 2006 

2.0 ATTENDEES

Appendix A lists the attendees. 

3.0 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Section 304(m) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires EPA to develop and 

publish a biennial plan that establishes a schedule for the annual review and revision of national 

effluent limitations guidelines and standards (ELGs) required by CWA section 304(b). During 

EPA’s 2005/2006 review of ELGs, EPA determined that the steam electric power generating 

point source category (40 CFR Part 423) is the second-largest discharger of toxic-weighted 

pollutants. EPA’s analyses indicated that the toxic-weighted loadings are predominantly driven 

by metals present in wastewater discharges, and that the wastestreams contributing the majority 

of the metals are associated with air pollution controls. Other potential sources of metals include 

coal pile runoff, metal/chemical cleaning wastes, coal washing, and certain low volume wastes. 

In presenting the findings of the 2005/2006 study, EPA noted certain data 

limitations affect the Agency’s estimate of the potential hazard posed by discharges from this 

category and, therefore, EPA determined that further review of these discharges during the 

2007/2008 ELG planning cycle is warranted. Due to the limited resources and time available for 

conducting this study, EPA is concentrating its efforts for the 2007/2008 study on better 

characterizing pollutant sources and available pollution control technologies/practices for the 

pollutants responsible for the majority of the toxic-weighted pollutant loadings from steam 

electric facilities. This will focus the review on wastewater discharges from coal-fired power 

plants. 

1 
EPA intends to review overall plant operations and better understand the various 

wastewater sources present at steam electric plants. This review is expected to largely focus on 

ash handling wastes, wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastes, coal pile runoff, and final 

effluent. 

EPA and its contractor, Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG), conducted a site 

visit to Georgia Power’s Plant Wansley on December 11, 2006. The purpose of the visit was to: 

1) gather information about the wastewater management practices used to control discharges 

from the plant; and 2) determine the feasibility of collecting and analyzing wastewater samples 

from steam electric power plants. 

4.0 PLANT DESCRIPTION

Georgia Power’s Plant Wansley began operation in December 1976, when Unit 1, 

a coal-fired boiler, came on line. Unit 2, which also has a coal-fired boiler, began commercial 

operation in April 1978. In 1980, the plant added Unit 5, which is an oil-fired combustion 

turbine. Units 6, 7, 8, and 9 are natural-gas fired combustion turbines with combined cycle 

operations and were installed between 2002 and 2004. When Unit 5 came on-line, Plant 

Wansley intentionally did not name it “Unit 3” because it was planning on using “Unit 3” and 

“Unit 4” for two additional coal-fired units to be built later; however, the plant has yet to build 

these additional coal-fired units. 

Plant Wansley is a jointly-owned plant in which various units are owned by 

various entities; however, Georgia Power is the primary operator and holder of all plant permits. 

Units 1, 2, and 5 are owned by Georgia Power, Units 6 and 7 are owned by Southern Power, Unit 

8 is owned by Oglethorpe Power Corporation (OPC), and Unit 9 is owned by Municipal Electric 

Authority of Georgia (MEAG). Plant Wansley has a total of seven generating units with a 

combined total capacity of approximately 4,000 megawatts (WM). Units 1 and 2 are the only 

coal-fired units; however, the two units account for approximately 1,700 MW, or 40 percent of 

the plant’s capacity. Plant Wansley is located on approximately 5,200 acres of land in both 

Heard and Carroll Counties, along the Chattahoochee River. The plant employs approximately 

230 people. 

2 
In 2003, Plant Wansley retrofitted Units 1 and 2 with SCR systems to control the 

nitrogen oxide releases from the plant. Currently, Plant Wansley is retrofitting Units 1 and 2 

with flue gas desulfurization (FGD) scrubbers to control sulfur dioxide releases from the plant. 

The FGD systems are expected to be operational in 2008 and 2009, and will be Chiyoda JetBubbling Reactor® FGD systems, similar to the FGD system operated at Georgia Power’s Plant 

Yates, located in Newnan, GA and visited by EPA on December 11, 2006.1 However, the FGD 

systems at Plant Wansley will be larger in scale compared to the Plant Yates system. For a 

description of how the Jet-Bubbling Reactor® FGD system operates, see Section 5.6 of the 

Engineering Site Visit Report for Georgia Power’s Plant Yates. Plant Wansley expects to 

manage the FGD wastewaters with a “gypsum stacking” operation, similar to the operation at 

Plant Yates (see Section 6.0 of the Engineering Site Visit Report for Georgia Power’s Plant 

Yates for more details on “gypsum stacking”). However, Plant Wansley expects to transfer the 

gypsum pond effluent to the ash ponds. 

5.0 PLANT OPERATIONS

Plant Wansley uses approximately 14,000 tons of coal per day to generate 

electricity in units 1 and 2. The coal-fired units account for most of the wastewater discharges 

from the plant, approximately 66,000 gpm of 85,000 gpm (95 of 122 MGD) total (75% 

percent)2

. Unit 5, the oil-fired, simple cycle unit, has no wastewater associated with the unit. 

Units 6-9, the natural gas, combined cycle units, only have cooling tower blowdown, low volum

waste, and metal cleaning dis

e 

charges. 

 

Plant Wansley has its own water treatment plant on site producing demineralized 

water for boiler makeup. The plant sends the wastewaters generated by the water treatment 

plant, such as filter backwash water, to the low-volume waste basin, described in Section 6.3. In 

addition, the plant has a service water pond which is used as the intake for the plant’s process 

operations. The service pond is supplied with water from the Chattahoochee River. The water 

from the pond is screened for trash and chlorinated five days per week for one hour each day. 

1

 See Engineering Site Visit Report for Georgia Power’s Plant Yates, dated June 27, 2007. 2

 Based on values provided in Figure 6-1, which are maximum flow values. 

3 
The Plant Wansley site visit focused on the coal-fired units and the wastewaters 

associated with these units. EPA and ERG did briefly observe the combined cycle units; 

however, they are not discussed in this site visit report. For a general description of the steam 

electric power generation process and the combined cycle process, see Section 3.2 of the Interim 

Detailed Study Report for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category. The 

remainder of Section 5 describes the following six operations at Plant Wansley: 

y Coal preparation; 

y Boiler operation; 

y Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) operation; 

y Particulate control (includes wet fly ash handling); 

y Biofouling control; and 

y Metal cleaning operations. 

5.1 Coal Preparation

Plant Wansley burns eastern bituminous coals from the Central Appalachia coal 

region in Units 1 and 2. The coal is delivered by 100-car trains carrying approximately 10,000 

tons of coal. The plant automatically unloads the coal from the trains and conveyor belts 

transport the coal to the coal storage pile, which contains about a 32-day supply of coal for the 

plant, approximately 450,000 tons. Storm water runoff that contacts the coal pile is collected in 

one of two coal pile runoff ponds. 

The coal that is delivered to the plant is coarsely crushed by the mine prior to 

delivery to the plant. Plant Wansley crushes the coal further as it is transported from the coal 

pile to the storage bunkers. Finally, prior to the coal entering the boiler, the plant pulverizes the 

coal into a finely ground powder that is blown into the boiler using air. 

5.2 Boiler Operation

As the pulverized coal is blown into the boiler, it is combusted and gives off heat. 

The heat produced in the boiler is used to convert water into high-pressure steam. As the coal is 

combusted, solid, non-combustible constituents of the coal, referred to as ash, are generated. 

The heavy ash particles that collect on the bottom of the boiler are referred to as bottom ash. The 

4 
finer particles that are light enough to be transferred out of the boiler with the flue gas exhaust 

are referred to as fly ash. At Plant Wansley, a continuous stream of sluice water collects and 

removes the bottom ash and other slag from the bottom of the boiler. The fly ash is also sluiced 

from the electrostatic precipitator (ESP), which removes fly ash from the gas and is described 

more fully in Section 5.4. Wastewater is also occasionally generated as the plant washes the fireside and water-side of the boiler. These wastewaters are discussed in Sections 5.6 and 6.2. 

5.3 Selective Catalytic Reduction Operation

During the coal combustion that occurs in the boiler, the nitrogen in the air reacts 

with the oxygen at the elevated temperatures to produce nitrogen oxides (NOx). SCR is a widely 

used practice for the removal of nitrogen oxide from flue gases. For a general description of the 

SCR process, see Section 3.2.1.6 of the Interim Detailed Study Report for the Steam Electric 

Power Generating Point Source Category. 

The SCR units at Plant Wansley are located downstream of the boilers and 

upstream of the air preheater and the ESPs on Units 1 and 2. The SCRs, operate with three 

layers of a catalyst grid, composed of vanadium pentoxide in a ceramic matrix. However, there 

is room in each unit for one additional layer of catalyst, if it becomes necessary for additional 

NOx removal. Ammonia is injected into the flue gas as part of the SCR process. The ammonia 

feed to the SCR is determined by measuring the NOx content in the SCR outlet gas and feeding 

enough anhydrous ammonia to bring the NOx content to a setpoint value, which is determined by 

the plant’s Title V permit. Excess unreacted ammonia from the SCR system is known as 

“ammonia slip.” The ammonia slip from the process is primarily in a gaseous phase until it 

reaches the preheater, which cools the flue gas and condenses the ammonia. This unreacted 

ammonia collects on the ash and on preheater surfaces. The plant can monitor for ammonia slip 

by analyzing the dry ash removed from the ESPs. According to the plant, a low-sulfur coal 

produces ash that has less affinity for ammonia. Ammonia slip is a loss of raw material, which is 

not economically efficient; therefore, the plant attempts to minimize ammonia slip during the 

operation of the system. In addition, ammonia slip can cause plugging in the air preheater 

downstream of the SCR system. According to the plant, if ammonia slip begins to occur, it may 

be a sign that the catalysts are running out of life and may need to be replaced. 

5 
There are no direct wastewater discharges associated with the SCR process at the 

plant; however, the process can affect the fly ash sluice water discharges. For example, if 

ammonia slip does occur in the system it is transported with the fly ash and sluice water to the 

ash pond and ultimately discharged from the plant. Representatives of the plant stated that, since 

the installation of the SCR in 2003, there has not been a significant increase in the ammonia 

discharges from the final effluent, based on the monitoring data required by the plant’s permit. 

The plant averaged an ammonia concentration of 0.3 mg/L in 2002 and 2003, and the plant’s 

average ammonia concentration decreased to 0.2 mg/L in 2004. In 2005, every measurement for 

ammonia at the final effluent was non-detect. Table C-1, in Appendix C, presents Plant 

Wansley’s ammonia monitoring data from the final outfall from January 2002 through April 

2007. The plant did not have a permit limit for ammonia prior to the installation of the SCR. 

5.4 Particulate Control

As described in Section 5.2, ash is generated during the coal combustion process 

and fly ash is transported out of the boiler with the flue gas. Plant Wansley has ESPs to remove 

the fly ash from the flue gas. The ESP, which is downstream of the SCR and the air preheater, 

uses a high voltage to generate an electric charge on the particles contained in the flue gas. The 

charged particles then collect on a metal plate with an opposite electric charge. As the particles 

begin to layer on the metal plates, the plates are tapped/rapped to loosen the particles, which fall 

into a collection hopper. The ESPs achieve a 99 percent removal of the fly ash from the flue gas. 

Plant Wansley is capable of handling the fly ash collected from the ESP in a dry 

or wet manner, but typically handles it in a wet manner. The plant handles the fly ash in a wet 

manner because it is their most economical means for transportation to ash pond for disposal. If 

there is a contract for the sale of ash for beneficial use the plant would handle the fly ash dry at 

the request of the purchasers. The fly ash being sold by Plant Wansley is most commonly used 

as an additive in concrete, if it is beneficially reused. While operating the wet fly ash system, a 

continuous flow of sluice water collects the fly ash from the ESP collection hopper and 

transports it to the ash pond. 

6 
5.5 Biofouling Control

Plant Wansley uses chlorine for biofouling control of each of the six cooling 

tower systems. When the plant adds chlorine to the cooling water for biofouling control, the 

plant also isolates (shuts down) its cooling system blowdown until the chlorine has dissipated in 

the system. The plant typically waits 12 hours after the chlorine has been applied and the total 

residual chlorine (TRC) concentration is less than the detection limit, which is verified by the 

plant before discharging the cooling water blowdown from the system. The cooling towers for 

the combined cycle units often dechlorinate their cooling water with sodium bisulfite in order to 

accelerate the blowdown of their towers. Each of the cooling towers receives chlorine biofouling 

control approximately every other day throughout the year. 

5.6 Metal Cleaning Operations

Plant Wansley has routine outages during the year to perform maintenance on the 

process equipment. In addition to performing maintenance to ensure the proper operation of the 

equipment, the plant also cleans the equipment. 

During routine outages, the plant cleans the fire side of the boilers. This consists 

of spraying the inside of the boiler with a high-pressure stream of water, which removes the 

deposits that have built up on the boiler tubes and the walls of the boiler. The wastewater from 

this cleaning process is transferred directly to the ash pond. 

In addition to cleaning the fire side of the boilers, the plant also cleans the water 

side of the boilers. This chemical cleaning process, which cleans the inside of the boiler tubes, is 

conducted every 10 to 15 years. The plant typically circulates an inhibited hydroxyacetic/formic 

acid through the boiler tubes to remove scale. The wastewater generated from this cleaning 

process is not hazardous and is transferred to a separate chemical cleaning waste basin for 

settling. The wastewater may be settled for a few hours or many days before it is pumped to the 

ash pond after meeting limits of 1.0 mg/L for copper and iron. It is ultimately discharged from 

the ash pond. Occasionally Plant Wansley discharges metal cleaning wastes directly to the ash 

7 
pond based on an approved internal procedure which requires monitoring of the ash transport 

blowdown to demonstrate that the limits are met. 

Both of these cleaning operations are performed on all coal-fired boilers and the 

natural gas, combined-cycle units. In addition to these cleaning operations, the plant also cleans 

the combustion turbines from the combined cycle units. This is a chemical cleaning process and 

the wastewater is hauled off site, due to issues in discharging detergents and metals to surface 

water. 

Plant Wansley also generates an intermittent waste stream from the cleaning of 

the cooling tower basin. The wastewater generated from this cleaning operation is sent to the 

low-volume waste basin, described in Section 6.3. 

6.0 WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT

Plant Wansley generates several different types of wastewater from the operation 

of the coal-fired units; however, the plant combines all of these wastewaters along with 

wastewaters from the combined cycle units into the ash pond for low-volume wastes and/or the 

retention pond for cooling tower blowdown prior to discharge. Figure 6-1 presents the 

wastewater flow diagram for Plant Wansley. Each of these wastewaters and their treatment are 

described in this section of the report, including the following: 

y Coal pile runoff; 

y Metal cleaning waste; 

y Low-volume wastes; 

y Cooling tower blowdown; 

y FGD system wastewater; 

y Ash transport water; and 

y Final effluent. 

6.1 Coal Pile Runoff

As mentioned in Section 5.1, the coal pile contains approximately 450,000 tons of 

coal maximum at any given time. Figure B-1, in Appendix B, presents a picture of part of the 

coal pile. As rain falls on the coal pile, the runoff from the area becomes contaminated with 

8 
9 

pollutants that are found in the coal. This contaminated wastewater is collected in one of two 

coal pile runoff ponds, each located on either side of the coal pile area (shown in Figure 6-1 as 

the “West CP Runoff Pond” and “East CP Runoff Pond.” Figure B-2, in Appendix B, presents a 

picture of one of these coal pile runoff ponds. The coal pile runoff is allowed to settle and is 

generally held in these ponds. If an overflow level is reached in the ponds due to rainfall or 

wash-down from coal handling equipment, the wastewater is automatically discharged to the ash 

pond. Each of the runoff ponds is approximately one and a half acres and can accommodate a 

six-inch rainfall event in a 24-hour period. The drainage area to the ponds is approximately 48.2 

acres. Plant Wansley does not treat the wastewater prior to sending it to the ash ponds. 

6.2 Metal Cleaning Waste

Plant Wansley has several intermittent cleaning operations that generate 

wastewater. These cleaning operations, described in Section 5.6, are completed during plant 

outages, and the wastewaters from the different operations are handled differently. 

The wastewater generated from the fire side cleaning of the boilers is not a 

chemical cleaning waste. This wastewater contains scale and deposits from the boiler. The plant 

transports this wastewater directly to the ash pond. 

The wastewater generated from the water side of the boilers is a chemical 

cleaning process and therefore, needs to be handled specially. The plant only generates this 

wastewater approximately every 10 or 15 years. The wastewater generated from the cleaning 

operation is transported to a separate waste basin and allowed to settle. This wastewater is 

discharged to the ash pond as discussed in Section 5.6. 

The wastewater generated from cleaning the combustion turbines is a chemical 

cleaning process and the plant has the wastewater hauled off site for disposal. According to 

Plant Wansley, it is more economical to pay a vendor to dispose of the waste off site than to treat 

the wastewater to meet the effluent guideline limits of 1.0 ppm for copper and iron. 
10 

GEORGIA POWE

PLANT WAN

NPDES PERMIT NO

Flow wan.ppt 11

CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER

ALL FLOWS ARE MAXIMUM

Combined Cycle

Units 6, 7, 8, 9

Plant Wansley

Units 1 & 2

Coal Pile

Service Water Storag

Ash Pond 

West CP

Runoff

Pond

East CP

Runoff

Pond

02D Coal Handling STP 3 gpm

04 Car Wash 

Ret. Pond

Retention Pond

01K Cool Twr Blowdown U-9 2,000 gpm

01I Cool Twr Blowdown U-7 2,000 gpm

01H Cool Twr Blowdown U-6 2,000 gpm

01J Cool Twr Blowdown U-8 700 gpm

02J Low Vol Waste Unit 9 900 gpm02K Alternate Unit 9 LVW

01F Drainage Canal Discharge 7,780 gpm

01C Ash Transport Water Blowdown30,000 gpm

Waste Water Basin

02H Service Bldg STP 7 gpm

Cooling Towers Unit 1 Cooling Towers Unit 2 

03A Ash Pond Emergency Overflow (South)

03B Ash Pond Emergency Overflow (North)

02I LowVol Waste

Units 6, 7, 8 3,800 gpm

01D Construction STP 8 gpm

Ash Transport Water Recycle

02C 1000 gpm

02B 1,000 gpm

02 Ash Transport Water 25,800 gpm

01E Retention 

Pond Drain 

01 Final Discharge 85,488 gpm

02E Metal Cleaning Waste

01G Service Water Sump 

Overflow 11,000 gpmLVW 

02A Low Volume Waste 7,000 gpm

02G CT Basin waste

02F CT Basin waste

01A Blowdown/overflow 15,000 gpm01B Blowdown/overflow 15,000 gpm 

06 Svc Water Pump

Seal Water & Strainer 

Backwash 1,500 gpm

Figure 6-1. Wastewater Flow Diagram for Plant Wansley 
Lastly, the wastewater generated from the cleaning of the cooling tower basins is 

not a chemical cleaning waste. Cooling tower basin cleaning wastes is a defined category of 

low-volume wastes and may be combined with any other low-volume waste stream prior to 

monitoring and discharge. Plant Wansley’s liquid cooling tower cleaning wastes are pumped to 

the Low-Volume Waste basin and subsequently to the ash pond. The solid residual sludge is 

trucked directly to the ash pond. 

6.3 Low-Volume Waste

Plant Wansley has a low-volume waste basin (shown in Figure 6-1 as “Waste 

Water Basin”) that collects all of the low-volume and non-chemical metal cleaning wastes from 

the coal-fired units and other sources within the plant. Figure B-3, in Appendix B, presents a 

picture of the low-volume waste basin. The service water used as once-through cooling for some 

small process heat exchangers contributes the most water to the low-volume waste basin. The 

other low-volume wastes from the plant include building sump water, sanitary wastewater, and 

water treatment plant wastewater (not shown in Figure 6-1). The low-volume waste collected in 

the basin is pumped to the ash pond. The discharge from the low-volume waste basin to the ash 

pond is automatically level-switch controlled. Four pumps are capable of pumping up to a 

maximum of 7,000 gpm. The influent to the low-volume waste basin is highly variable 

depending on operations and maintenance activities. In general, one pump is operates 

continuously, with additional pumping added as the level in the basin rises. The long term flow 

rate form the basin averages about 3,000 gpm. The low-volume wastes that are generated from 

the combined cycle units are sent to the low-volume waste basins that serve that area of the site. 

6.4 Cooling Tower Blowdown

Each of the coal-fired and combined cycle units at Plant Wansley has a 

recirculating cooling system. As mentioned in Section 5.5, the plant uses chlorine for biofouling 

control and isolates its cooling system blowdown until the TRC concentration is less than the 

detection limit. Once the TRC concentration is verified to be less than the detection limit, the 

plant opens the cooling system blowdown and the blowdown discharges are transferred to the 

retention pond. The plant discharges cooling tower blowdown periodically, and does not 

11 
discharge when the plant is chlorinating for biofouling control. There are no specific water 

quality requirements for the make-up water used in the cooling tower. 

6.5 Ash Transport Water

The ash pond at Plant Wansley receives many different types of wastewater from 

the plant; however, most of the wastewater sent to the ash pond is from the fly and bottom ash 

handling systems. The plant sluices the fly ash from the ESP collection hoppers and the bottom 

ash from the bottom of the boiler. Ash sluice water flows from the fly ash hoppers and bottom 

ash hoppers to an ash lift station where the ash-laden sluice water is pumped through piping to 

the ash pond. There are no specific water quality requirements for water used as ash sluice 

water. The plant typically uses the recycled ash pond water for the ash sluice water. Figure B-4 

presents a picture of the fly and bottom ash sluice water being transported to the ash pond. 

As the ash transport water and the other low-volume wastewaters flow through 

the ash pond, the fly ash and other particulates settle to the bottom of the pond. At the opposite 

end from the influent of the ash pond, the ash transport water is gravity fed out of the pond and 

most of the wastewater is recycled within the plant’s process operations; however, some of the 

ash transport water is bled off (i.e., the ash transport blowdown) to a drainage canal that flows to 

a retention pond (described in Section 6.6) and is ultimately discharged to the Chattahoochee 

River. The average ash transport recycle flow rate is about 17,000 gpm, with an average ash 

transport blowdown flow rate of 6,000 gpm. The ash pond blowdown to the retention pond is 

used to keep the ash pond at a constant level. 

6.6 Final Effluent

Plant Wansley collects all of its wastewater in a retention pond prior to discharge 

to the Chattahoochee River. The retention pond combines the wastewater from the ash pond, 

which includes fly and bottom ash sluice, coal pile runoff, low-volume wastes, and some nonchemical metal cleaning wastes, and the cooling tower blowdown from each of the coal-fired and 

combined cycle units. All storm water discharges are also collected in the retention pond. The 

retention pond has a residence time of less than 24 hours. Booms are located in the retention 

12 
13 

pond to prevent the discharge of floating solids to the Chattahoochee River. Figures B-5 and B6, in Appendix B, are pictures of the retention pond and Plant Wansley’s final effluent discharge, 

respectively. The plant monitors the effluent discharge twice per month for pH and ammonia; 

however, other parameters such as TRC and total suspended solids are monitored on individual 

wastestreams prior to commingling in the retention pond. 

7.0 REFERENCES

1. U.S. EPA. 2006. Interim Detailed Study Report for the Steam Electric Power 

Generating Point Source Category. EPA-821-R-01-015. Washington, DC. 

November. DCN 01923. 

2. Georgia Power. 2003. Plant Wansley. GP0302204-8/03. August. Available 

online at: http://www.southerncompany.com/gapower/about/pdf/

Plant%20Wansley%20brochure.pdf. 

3. Southern Company R&EA. 2006. FGD and SCR – An Overview. December 11. 
Appendix A 

LIST OF ATTENDEES 
A-1 

Table A-1. List of Attendees 

Name Organization (Representing) Telephone E

Donna Hill Southern Company (205) 257 5234 dbhill@soNick Irvin Southern Company Russel Noble Southern Company Bill Evans Georgia Power Stanley Giles Georgia Power Scott Mayo Georgia Power Randy Purser Georgia Power Lindy Johnson Tennessee Valley Authority (423) 751 3361 lpjohnson@Paul Chu Electric Power Research Institute (650) 855-2812 PCHU@epLiz Aldridge Hunton & Williams (804) 788 8549 ealdridge@Kristy Bulleit Hunton & Williams (202) 955 1547 kbulleit@hJosh Hall EPA/Office of Water (202) 566 1002 hall.josh@Ron Jordan EPA/Office of Water (202) 566 1003 jordan.ronKarrie-Jo Robinson-Shell EPA/Region 4 (404) 562 9308 shell.karrieLeslie Churilla ERG (Contractor to EPA) (404) 634 0038 leslie.churT.J. Finseth ERG (Contractor to EPA) (703) 633 1698 thomas.fin
Appendix B 

PICTURES FROM SITE VISIT 
Figure B-1. Coal Pile at Plant Wansley 

Figure B-2. Coal Pile Runoff Pond at Plant Wansley 

B-1 
Figure B-3. Low-Volume Waste Basin at Plant Wansley 

Figure B-4. Bottom and Fly Ash Sluice Water at Plant Wansley 

B-2 
B-3 

Figure B-5. Retention Pond at Plant Wansley 

Figure B-6. Final Effluent Discharge from Plant Wansley 
Appendix C 

AMMONIA MONITORING DATA PROVIDED BY PLANT WANSLEY 
Table C-1. Plant Wansley Ammonia Data 

Final Plant Discharge 

NPDES Monitoring – January 2002 to Present (SCR operating) 

Month 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Units 

Jan 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 mg/L 

 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 mg/L 

Feb 0.2 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 mg/L 

 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 mg/L 

Mar 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 mg/L 

 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 mg/L 

Apr 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.1 mg/L 

 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 mg/L 

May 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.2 mg/L 

 0.4 1.8 0.2 0.0 0.1 mg/L 

June 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 mg/L 

 0.1 0.2 2.0 0.0 0.0 mg/L 

July 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 mg/L 

 3.1 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 mg/L 

Aug 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 mg/L 

 0.1 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.1 mg/L 

Sep 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 mg/L 

 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 mg/L 

Oct 0.0 0.4 0.2 0.0 0.1 mg/L 

 0.0 0.2 1.0 0.0 0.2 mg/L 

Nov 0.7 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 mg/L 

 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 mg/L 

Dec 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.1 mg/L 

 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 mg/L 

Max 3.1 1.8 2.0 0.0 0.2 0.1 mg/L 

Avg 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.0 mg/L 

C-1