Minor water leak patched at NC State's nuclear reactor
North Carolina State University officials said Tuesday that they have patched up a low-level water leak in the liner that surrounds the campus nuclear reactor.
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University spokesman Keith Nichols said the leak was patched on Friday, but officials are watching it this week to make sure it is completely sealed.
The leak, discovered July 2, was the size of a pinhead and leaking about 10 gallons per hour from the 15,000-gallon tank. Nichols said it would have been considered a public threat if the reactor were leaking at 350 gallons per hour.
The reactor has been in operation at N.C. State since 1972 and is one of about 20 university-operated reactors in the country. It is in operation about 1,000 hours annually for nuclear research, the school said.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspected the reactor in February and found no significant issues.
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