Water Collection System

DOE-STD-1136-2004

Guide of Good Practices for Occupational Radiation Protection in Uranium Facilities

design of effluent monitoring systems should appropriately meet the requirements of ANSI N42.18

(ANSI, 1974).

8.4.3 Water Collection System

Collection systems should be considered and provided where practical for water runoff from nuclear

facilities containing radioactive material, such as from firefighting activities. Nuclear criticality,

confinement, sampling, volume determination, and retrievability of liquids and solids should be required in

the design of collection systems. The size of the collection system for firefighting water should be based on

the maximum amount of water which would be collected in fighting the Design Basis Fire (DBF). The

configuration of the system components should be based on conservative assumptions as to the

concentration of fissile material which might collect in the system. Recirculating systems should also be

considered when there is no possibility of contamination.

For special facilities that process, handle, or store uranium, the water runoff collection system

should be designed with the following nuclear criticality safety considerations: 1) the maximum uranium

mass loading that could be in the runoff system; 2) the most disadvantageous uranium concentrations,

particle size, and uranium dispersion in the water slurry; and 3) the change in concentration of uranium and

geometric configuration of the slurry as the uranium settles out of the water.

8.5 WASTE MINIMIZATION

Uranium facilities should have a waste-minimization program. The objective of such a program is

the cost-effective reduction in the generation and disposal of hazardous, radioactive, and mixed waste. The

preferred method is to reduce the total volume and/or toxicity of hazardous waste generated at the source,

which minimizes the volume and complexity for waste disposal.

The waste minimization program applies to all present and future activities of the facilities that

generate hazardous, radioactive, and/or mixed wastes. Furthermore, waste minimization is to be

considered for all future programs and projects in the design stages, and should be included in all

maintenance and/or constructio n contracts.

All managers of facilities or activities that generate hazardous, radioactive, and mixed waste are

responsible for:

minimizing the volume and toxicity of all radioactive, hazardous, and radioactive mixed

waste generated, to the extent economically practicable,

preparing and updating waste minimization plans for their waste-generating facilities or

activities (small waste generators in a larger facility may be grouped with others in a

facility or activity plan),

implementing the facility-specific or activity-specific waste minimization plan,

providing input to the organization responsible for waste characterization and

minimization, to support the waste minimization program,

communicating waste minimization plans to their employees, and ensuring that

employees receive appropriate training,

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