Aberdeen Water Works - Executive Summary |
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The City of Aberdeen Water Treatment Plant is a program 2 facility using chlorine gas liquified by pressure for the disinfection of drinking water. This is the only regulated substance handled at the facility, and emergency action measures are in place in the event of an accidental release of the chemical. Located 7 miles northeast of Aberdeen, the plant is in a rural setting and has had no accidental releases of chlorine in it's 65 years of operation at this location. The exceedingly remote possibility of releasing chlorine gas to the atmosphere in its most extensive case would involve a one-ton cylinder venting its entire contents over the course of 18 minutes. The cylinders are enclosed within the walls of the building, and the facility is surrounded by dikes to contain the heavier-than-air gas. A north wind planned in the down wind safety calculations involves a 3 mile area which includes the residents of the Pariewood development. Immediate notification through Brown County Dispatch, the Aberdeen Fire Department, and the Brown County Emergency Management Office would turn the situation over to trained emergency responders, which is the first step in the accidental release policy of the water treatment plant. Further steps secure the safety of plant personnel and people within the concerned area. The alternate release scenario (most probable accidental release mechanism) chosen for planning purposes would produce an endpoint of the chemical plume no more than 0.1 miles in any direction from the facility (within the borders of the plant grounds). The plant accidental release prevention program involves strict adherence to maintenance procedures, inspections, and rotation of chlorine dosing equipment components. Operational training and emergency chemical training is also a very important part of our ongoing prevention program. Chemical release drills are part of our routine training program, including survivability procedures for plant personnel. Our excellent record of safe plant operations speaks for itself, but times change, and as technology advances, we continue to enhance the plant chemical release safety program with the ongoing acquisition of more up-to-date chemical alarms and systems. |