GTA 5 Story Mode Collectibles

All 30 Nuclear Waste Locations in GTA 5

All 30 GTA 5 nuclear waste barrels sit on the seabed around the coast, from Paleto Cove to Humane Labs.

Open all 30 on the map

Map of all 30 locations

Pin numbers match the numbered locations below.

Nuclear Waste 1–30

  1. Nuclear Waste 1: Pacific Ocean In Paleto Cove, a short way north of the Sonar Collections Dock.
  2. Nuclear Waste 2: Pacific Ocean Just northwest of the end of Del Perro Pier, about 35 m down.
  3. Nuclear Waste 3: Pacific Ocean Off Palomino Highlands' east coast, northwest of the offshore island.
  4. Nuclear Waste 4: Pacific Ocean Southeast of the Palomino Highlands island, about 145 m down at about the sub's crush depth.
  5. Nuclear Waste 5: Pacific Ocean Off the south end of Palomino Highlands, deep among rocks about 110 m down.
  6. Nuclear Waste 6: Pacific Ocean Just off Mount Gordo's north shore, fairly shallow beside a rock face.
  7. Nuclear Waste 7: Pacific Ocean West of the sandy spit at Paleto Forest beach, about 35 m down.
  8. Nuclear Waste 8: Pacific Ocean Off Mount Gordo's north shore, close to barrel 6.
  9. Nuclear Waste 9: Pacific Ocean Off Procopio Beach, north-northeast of the road loop, deep beside rock about 140 m down.
  10. Nuclear Waste 10: Pacific Ocean Off Procopio Beach, north of the road loop, in a deep rocky chasm about 140 m down.
  11. Nuclear Waste 11: Pacific Ocean Just south of the Chumash pier, in very shallow water.
  12. Nuclear Waste 12: Pacific Ocean Off Procopio Beach, north of the road loop, under a rock archway.
  13. Nuclear Waste 13: Pacific Ocean Off the west end of the Fort Zancudo runway, about 60 m down.
  14. Nuclear Waste 14: Pacific Ocean Southwest of the west end of the Fort Zancudo runway, about 55 m down.
  15. Nuclear Waste 15: Pacific Ocean West of North Chumash, on a rock ledge in a deep valley about 110 m down.
  16. Nuclear Waste 16: Pacific Ocean Offshore, south of the Zancudo River mouth, about 30 m down.
  17. Nuclear Waste 17: Pacific Ocean East of Humane Labs, just outside the mouth of the bay.
  18. Nuclear Waste 18: Pacific Ocean North of Mount Gordo on a cliff ledge, about 155 m down at the sub's crush depth.
  19. Nuclear Waste 19: Pacific Ocean North of Mount Gordo on a ledge at about the sub's crush depth, about 145 m down.
  20. Nuclear Waste 20: Pacific Ocean Off Pacific Bluffs, south of the country club, about 25 m down.
  21. Nuclear Waste 21: Pacific Ocean West of North Chumash near barrel 15, at the sub's crush depth about 150 m down.
  22. Nuclear Waste 22: Pacific Ocean Off the west side of Paleto Bay, about 30 m down.
  23. Nuclear Waste 23: Lago Zancudo Between the Zancudo River mouth and the Fort Zancudo runway's west end, in murky water.
  24. Nuclear Waste 24: Del Perro Beach Under the far end of Del Perro Pier, among the pilings.
  25. Nuclear Waste 25: Pacific Ocean Off the Pacific Bluffs beach west of the Pipeline Inn, among rocks.
  26. Nuclear Waste 26: Pacific Ocean At the far inner end of the bay beside Humane Labs, shallow and close to shore.
  27. Nuclear Waste 27: Pacific Ocean In the middle of the bay beside Humane Labs, on open seabed.
  28. Nuclear Waste 28: Pacific Ocean Off the south tip of Palomino Highlands, east of Terminal, about 50 m down.
  29. Nuclear Waste 29: Pacific Ocean At the plane wreck east of Terminal, resting on rocks about 45 m down.
  30. Nuclear Waste 30: Pacific Ocean Northwest of Del Perro Pier, farther out than barrel 2, on a ledge about 70 m down.

How to collect nuclear waste

Nuclear waste is a Story Mode set that starts at the Sonar Collections Dock in Paleto Cove. It pays well: the 30 barrels and the completion bonus add up to $940,000, and the full set earns the Waste Management achievement.

Buy the Sonar Collections Dock in Paleto Cove for $250,000. It goes on sale after The Merryweather Heist, and any of the three characters can buy it and collect the barrels. Once you own it, a Submersible spawns at the dock.

Get in the sub and the Trackify app opens on your phone, pointing to the next barrel. It points the right way, but the blip sits at the edge of the screen until you are close, so it says little about distance. To collect a barrel, touch it with the sub. Some barrels sit very deep, close to the sub's crush depth, so go no deeper than you need to on those.

A full run takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. Trackify points to one barrel at a time, and the numbers on this page are ours, so match barrels by place, not number.

Payout and the Waste Management achievement

Each barrel pays $23,000 the moment you collect it, $690,000 across all 30. Finding the last one adds a $250,000 bonus, for $940,000 in total, and that bonus alone pays back the $250,000 the dock cost.

Collecting every barrel also unlocks Waste Management ("Purchase the old dock and collect all nuclear waste."), an achievement or trophy.

  • $23,000 per barrel, paid on pickup
  • $250,000 bonus for all 30, $940,000 in total
  • Waste Management achievement

Nuclear Waste FAQ

How much money do you get for nuclear waste in GTA 5?

$23,000 per barrel, paid on pickup, plus a $250,000 bonus for all 30. That is $940,000 in total, well over the $250,000 the dock costs.

How do you get the Waste Management achievement?

Buy the Sonar Collections Dock and collect all 30 nuclear waste barrels with the Submersible. The achievement is a trophy on PlayStation.

Where is the Sonar Collections Dock and how much does it cost?

It is in Paleto Cove on the northwest coast of Blaine County and costs $250,000. It goes on sale after The Merryweather Heist, and any of the three characters can buy it.

How do you collect nuclear waste barrels?

Take the Submersible that spawns at the dock, follow the Trackify app to each barrel, and touch the barrel with the sub. Trackify points the way but only shows how close you are once you are near.

How long does it take to collect all the nuclear waste?

About 1.5 to 2 hours for all 30, including the deep barrels near the sub's crush depth.