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Plant Branch Groundwater Monitoring and Dewatering Information

Plant Branch was retired in 2015 following approval by the Georgia Public Service Commission through the company’s 2013 Integrated Resource Plan. During its operation, this coal-fired power plant in Putnam County served customers reliably from 1965 through 2015.

Ash Pond Dewatering Plan

The company prepares and submits an ash pond dewatering plan to Environmental Protection Division for its approval. The ash pond dewatering plan for Plant Branch was approved and updated by EPD in November 2018. This site-specific plan identifies the enhanced water treatment system, controls and monitoring that will be used during the process to ensure that the water discharged is protective of water quality standards.

Ongoing testing will be an integral part of the dewatering process to help ensure water quality is protected. Testing will continue at Plant Branch and will be conducted at three points through the dewatering process:

  1. Continuous, real-time monitoring of the water as it is being treated and moves through the system to help ensure the treatment facility is operating effectively. Safeguards in place include automatic shutoff of the system so that the water is retained on site until treatment standards are met.
  2. Dewatering discharge will be sampled on a weekly basis. The samples will be collected by an independent, third-party contractor and tested by an independent, third-party accredited laboratory. These test reports will be sent to EPD and posted monthly on this page.
  3. Water samples will be taken from Lake Sinclair twice per month, upstream and downstream of the discharge. These samples will also be sent to the independent, third party accredited laboratory for testing. The test results will be reported to EPD and made available on Georgia Power’s website.

To read more about Plant Branch’s ash pond closure and dewatering process, click here.

Plant Branch Dewatering Plan

Ash Pond Dewatering Results

Discharged water is being actively sampled in compliance with federal and state regulations. Data results will be updated as the process continues.