Towaliga River Water Treatment Facility - Executive Summary |
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The Henry County Water and Sewerage Authority's Towaliga River Water Treatment Facility has implemented a Risk Management Plan to minimize potential hazards from the accidential release of chlorine gas. This Risk Management Plan integrates the technologies of equipment in place in the facility with procedures and management practices that will provide for a reduced risk of any accidential releases. Methods and procedures in this plan have been developed to provide for the welfare of the on-site employees, to assure the safety and public health of the community, and to interface with local emergency response agencies. The Henry County Water and Sewerage Authority owns and operates the Towaliga River Water Treatment Facility. This facility utilizes chlorine for the disinfection of both the raw water entering the facility and the finished water being transported into the distribution system. The chlorination of the water is essential to delivering a water supply to the customer that is safe and free of any bacterial contaminates in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. The worst-case scenario, as defined be EPA, states that "the owner or operator shall assume that the maximum quantity in the largest vessel is released as a gas for a duration of 10 minutes". The "alternative scenario" is defined as "more likely to occur the the worst-case scenario". In each case the modeling program "RMP Comp" was utilized to determine the distance traveled by the released chlorine before its concentration decreases to a theoretical "toxic endpoint". The worst-case release scenario for the Towaliga River Water Treatment Facility involves a total failure of a one-ton cylinder of chlorine which yields a release of 2000 pounds of chlorine in ten minutes. This release, when using the "RMP Comp" modeling program, shows a distance of 2.2 miles to the toxic endpoint. In the alternative case release no. 1 scenario a more realistic approach was taken. This modeled a leak in th e gas supply line of 200 pounds of chlorine over a period of 20 minutes. This scenerio produced a toxic endpoint distance of 0.1 miles, according to "RMP Comp". This would equate to a release that would just cross the roads bordering the facility on the north and east only. The majority of the impacted area would remain totally within the boundaries of the Towaliga River Water Treatment Facility. In the alternative case release no. 2 scenario a real life worst-case approach was taken. This modeled a leak due to equipment failure of 1000 pounds of chlorine over a period of 20 minutes. This scenerio, when modeled with "RMP Comp", produced a toxic endpoint distance of 0.3 miles. This would equate to a release that would cross the roads bordering the facility on the north, south, east and west. However, due to the rural nature of the facility only two additional residences would be within the impacted area. The Henry County Water and Sewerage Authority's Risk Management Plan for t he Towaliga River Water Treatment Facility includes the following elements to mitigate the possibility and effects of potential accidential chlorine release hazzards: + Operator Training + Preventive Maintenance Programs + Process Safety Equipment + Safe and effective standard operating procedures, developed with operator participation + Hazard review of equipment and procedures + Auditing and inspection programs + Respiratory protection (SCBA) program + Chlorine detectors and alarms + Personal protective equipment program The Henry County Water and Sewerage Authority's Risk Management Plan includes the evacuation of the facility, evaluation of the release sources, notification of the Henry County Fire Department, the Locust Grove Fire Department, Henry County Emergency Management and local Emergency Medical Services. This will be accomplished through the local enhanced emergency 911 system. The emergency responce plan includes the notif ication of responsible agencies and individuals of the releases and the procedures for notifying the general public within the release area. No accidential releases have occured from 1990 through 1998 involving death, injury, response or restoration for an exposure fo an environmental receptor. |