Because there are no ample sources of underground water, all potable water for Aktau is produced by desalination of seawater in the MAEK plant. The factory operator is MAEK Kazatomprom, the state-owned local provider of electricity and potable water for the Aktau city and the Region of Mangystau for both consumer and industrial use. During 2012 and 2013 the former Soviet era units have been replaced. The factory includes two desalination units of 12,000 m3/per day each. In the 1970s, the city received an award for being one of the most successful human settlements existing in the environment hostile to human life. Its power plant is fuelled by the natural gas.
There is a decommissioned nuclear reactor near the desalination plant, which was constructed in 1975. The reactor was originally used to produce energy for desalination and also for the city itself (BN 350 MW). It is the experimental fast neutrons reactor that can be easily turned into plutonium production for the weapons. In 2000, Kazakhstan decided not to use any nuclear technologies any more, and operation of the reactor was shut down – however, because the reaction is still going on, the reactor needs to be cooled down by water till 2050.
MAEK Watewater Canal
Huge quantities of water coming out from the desalination factory have to be returned back to the sea. The hot water must be cooled down before in a manmade lake; a shallow 15 km long and 1 - 3 km wide lake Karakol, “the Black lake” (4.000 ha). If emitted to the Caspian directly it could destruct the aquatic ecosystem due to the high temperature.
The artificial lake became a host for patches of lush vegetation, numerous islands have formed and it all attracts many species, especially birds including flamingos. Since 1986, Karakol becomes a part of Karagiye-Karakol State Zoological Reserve. Banks of the lake are considered as recreational zone and are popular for summer houses, picnics, fishing, swimming, etc. Number of cottages and also hotels and expensive restaurants is located at this area.
Recently, there were complaints on the unfenced narrow canal ending of the lake where the water mouths into the Caspian Sea and where the current is wild enough to wash somebody away. The responsible people took to action, the MAEK Company has constructed a new fence preventing the people from going to the canal with dangerous streams. Although there was an observation of a breach in one part of the fence, the company has at least tried to solve the problem.
