Chlorine Emergency At Plant Sparks ‘Shelter In Place' Order

A chlorine emergency at a water treatment plant resulted in a “shelter in place” order for the immediate area last week.

Firefighters responded “to a chlorine leak inside the water treatment plant in Scottsburg, IN, on Friday afternoon,” WDRB reported.

“The leak happened when workers at the plant were switching chlorine tanks and an unknown amount spilled, Scott County 911 Director Greg Ramoni said. The plant shut the system off,” WHAS11 reported.

“The leak came from a 2,000-gallon tank of chlorine. The plant closed when the leak was first reported, but re-opened late Friday evening,” WDRB reported.

One worker was sent to the hospital, WHAS11 reported. The “shelter in place” order was lifted around 6:45 p.m. The leak did not affect the local water supply, according to WDRB.

“Officials say chlorine began leaking into the plant and into the air outside just after 3 p.m. Friday. Officials tell WDRB that workers were ‘switching’ tanks in the plant when they found the leak,” the report said.

According to an article published by Occupational Health & Safety, a trade publication, “Accidental exposure to chlorine gas need not be deadly when the proper safety procedures and equipment are in place. Both U.S. EPA and [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration] have strict regulations for the use of chlorine. Many accidents are preventable with the proper training and toxic gas monitoring safety equipment.”

Federal guidelines on chlorine safety are available here.

Chlorine is sometimes criticized for posing safety hazards, but many water industry professionals defend its use.

The Water Quality and Health Council, sponsored by the American Chemistry Council, points out that disinfection revolutionized drinking water treatment. The group notes that chlorine is a potent germicide and treats taste, odor, biological growth, and chemicals.

The group pointed to the decline in the death rate “due to typhoid fever following the introduction of chlorine to U.S. municipal drinking water systems in 1908. As more cities adopted water chlorination, U.S. death rates due to cholera and hepatitis A also declined dramatically.”

“Worldwide, significant strides in public health and the quality of life are directly linked to the adoption of drinking water chlorination. Recognizing this success, Life magazine (1997) declared, ‘The filtration of drinking water plus the use of chlorine is probably the most significant public health advancement of the millennium,’” it continued.

To read more about chlorine visit Water Online’s Drinking Water Disinfection Solutions Center.