Temple Water Treatment Plant - Executive Summary |
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The City of Temple Water Treatment Plant is located adjacent to the Leon River in southwest Temple at 4820 Parkside Drive. The Temple Water Treatment Plant provides drinking water for all of Temple as well as providing water for the cities of Morgan's Point Resort, Little River-Academy, and Troy. The water treatment process as regulated by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) requires the addition of chlorine to the drinking water as a disinfection agent. The City of Temple Water Treatment Plant has a maximum inventory of 48000 pounds of chlorine on hand at any one time. This chlorine is stored as a liquid under pressure in one ton containers, withdrawn and vaporized, and fed into the process by a vacuum induction unit. The City of Temple recognizes the potential dangers associated with accidental chlorine release and has in place the appropriate safety measures to minimize any risk to the community associated with use of chlorine. Our chlorination equipment is designed according to industry standards, is regularly inspected, and maintained in good working order by qualified technicians. All operations and maintenance personnel are well trained in the handling and usage of chlorine and receive regular safety training. As part of our Risk Management Planning (RMP) we have evaluated the impact of several scenarios for the accidental release of chlorine. As defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the worst case release would occur if an entire ton container of chlorine were vented within ten minutes under certain weather conditions. This worst case release could result in toxic levels of chlorine at a distance of 1.3 mile from the release site. An alternative release scenario evaluated was a release resulting from a break in the 1" header pipe. Under this scenario toxic levels of chlorine could be present at a distance of 0.20 miles from the release site. The City of Temple Water Treatment Plant has an excellent safety re cord for use of chlorine. We have had no accidental releases of chlorine in the five-year reporting period. We have also had no employee injuries associated with the use of chlorine. In the event of a chlorine accident, water plant employees would shut down the chlorination process as efficiently as possible. The City of Temple Fire Department would be notified and respond to any chlorine emergency. Fire Department personnel are fully trained in dealing with chlorine and other chemical releases and have been provided with the proper equipment for mitigating an accidental release. |