The United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicated yesterday, Sunday, that it needs broader access to the surroundings of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to verify a "major discrepancy" in water level data used for cooling the plant's reactors following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.
The IAEA Director Rafael Mariano Grossi, who will visit the plant this week, revealed that measurements received from the plant's entrance showed that water levels at the dam were stable for about a day at the beginning of the week.
Grossi stated, "However, it was said that water levels continued to decrease elsewhere in the vast reservoir, potentially causing a difference of about two meters," explaining that "water level is a key gauge for the continued operation of the water pumps."
He noted that "this discrepancy in the measured levels may be due to an isolated body of water separated from the larger body of the reservoir," adding, "we will never know until we can access the thermal power station."
Grossi highlighted that "the thermal power station plays a critical role in the safety and security of the nuclear power plant located a few kilometers away," hence the need for independent access and assessment.
The IAEA pointed out that "the reservoir's water is used for cooling the six reactors in the facility and the spent fuel pool."
It further explained earlier that "the Zaporizhzhia plant can utilize other water sources when reservoir water is not available, including a large cooling pond above the reservoir that has enough water for several months."
The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam in southern Ukraine last week led to flooding in towns downstream and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes.
