City of Delray Beach, Water Treatment Plant - Executive Summary |
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The accidental release prevention and emergency response policies for Delray Beach Water Treatment Plant are structured to reduce the risk to employees and the public of injury or death from accidental release of chemicals. The City's program provides all information necessary to properly manage the regulated chemical - Chlorine. Plant Personel are trained in the safe handling and use of Chlorine and are provided with the necessary safety equipment for working in proximity with this substance. It is the City's policy to utilize the Fire Departments HAZMAT team to respond to all major emergency conditions. The City of Delray Beach Water Treatment Plant is a 22.4 mgd lime softening treatment facility which provides potable drinking water for the citizens of Delray Beach. The plant utilizes chlorine gas for disinfection of the potable water prior to distribution to the system. The maximum quantity of chlorine stored on-site is 56,000 lbs in the form of 28 1-ton cylinders and is confine d within an enclosed storage building. The worst-case release scenario involves the release of 2,000 lbs. of chlorine gas from a ruptured ton cylinder. Passive mitigation provided includes an enclosed storage building which reduces the chemical's rate of release. Area of impact is a 2.5 mile radius from the epicenter of the water treatment plant chlorine storage facility. In the unlikely event of this release, off-site impacts will occur and include risk to public and private receptors, such as schools, businesses, and residences. It should be noted that this release scenario is based on unrealistic conditions at the Water Treatment Plant and that mitigating safety equipment (e.g. chlorine gas scrubbers) which are normally available in the case of emergency, are not considered in the scenario evaluation. The alternative release scenario involves the release of 780 lbs. of chlorine gas from a leaking transfer hose. Passive mitigation provided includes an enclosed storage building which reduces the chemical's rate of release. Active mitigation provided includes chlorine gas scrubbers which reduces the chlorine gas concentration by 97%. Area of impact is a 125-yard radius from the epicenter of the water treatment plant chlorine storage facility and is confined within the boudaries of the plant site. There are no off-site impacts associated with this scenario. The City of Delray Beach Water Treatment Plant complies with all requirements stipulated in EPA 40 CFR Part 68 "Accidental Release Prevention Requirements: Risk Management Program" and OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 "Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals". We have had one accidental release of chlorine in the past 5 years which equated to less than 1 lb. of actual chlorine released within the confined chlorine storage building. No on-site or off-site injuries or other related impacts resulted from this accident. The water treatment plant was evacuated as a precautionary measure and emergenc y response teams were dispatched to the site and determined that there was no atmospheric release. The City of Delray Beach will continue it's ongoing quarterly safety training to ensure proper safety at the facility and to evaluate new technology as it becomes available with regards to the regulated process. |