How much water does a nuclear powerplant PWR use daily?

Answer 1

The leakage from the primary circuit is extremely small and there is really no water make-up required. There will be some small leakage from the secondary circuit due to steam leaks, but very little. The only large use is the cooling water used to condense the steam at the turbine LP end. This can be a continuous flow from a lake, river, or the ocean where the water is used once then rejected, or if air cooling towers are used it can be re-circulated.

Answer 2

A nuclear power plant does not emit water vapor except as a result of steam leaks and cooling tower losses, if cooling towers are used. These types of leaks are common to any power plant whether nuclear or otherwise. Leaks from the reactor primary circuit are minimal, and are in any case retained by the secondary containment. In the turbine house area small leaks at valve glands and instrument connections are likely to be present but maintenance crews will chase these down and prevent any large ones developing. During plant startups steam lines have to be warmed through before putting into use, but this is occasional and of limited duration. Where cooling towers are used there is a constant release of water vapor as seen by the plume above the tower, this is a fraction of the cooling water being circulated for cooling the turbine exhaust condenser. It has no connection with the reactor cooling circuit.

Answer 3

The question is very nearly meaningless. Nuclear power plants vary widely in design, and for some types it could be argued that they don't give off any water vapor. For example, the secondary loop at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (when it was still operating) was cooled with water from the adjacent Pacific Ocean, so there was no need for it to give off any water vapor at all. Other reactor designs ... those with "cooling towers" ... may give off water vapor, but it would be difficult to quantify.