Spent fuel pools (SFP) are storage pools (or "ponds" - UK usage) for spent fuel from nuclear reactors. They are typically 40 or more feet (12 m) deep, with the bottom 14 feet (4.3 m) equipped with storage racks designed to hold fuel assemblies removed from reactors. A reactor's local pool is specially designed for the reactor in which the fuel was used and is situated at the reactor site. Such pools are used for immediate "cooling" of the fuel rods, which allows short-lived isotopes to decay and thus reduce the ionising radiation emanating from the rods. The water cools the fuel and provides radiological protection shielding from their radiation.