Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority Plant - Executive Summary |
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Eagle River Water & Sanitation District, the operator of the Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority (UERWA) Plant, takes safety very seriously. A District safety committee comprised of individuals from each department meets monthly to discuss safety issues or concerns. The UERWA Plant uses chlorine gas for disinfection of the community's drinking water and, due to the amount of water treated, requires that two one-ton containers, or up to 4,000 pounds of chlorine, be on-site. Chlorine is considered a toxic gas by the EPA and is very harmful in large quantities in the air. Each of the employees at the UERWA Plant has received 24 hours of hazardous material training with an annual eight-hour refresher course, which covered in detail emergency response procedures and use of emergency repair kits. There is a monthly inspection and test of the chlorine feed system, the alarm indicators, and the scrubber unit i nvolved in the chlorination process. The Avon Fire Department's Hazardous Materials Team, along with UERWA Plant employees, conducts joint training on the handling of accidental releases of chlorine and emergency response procedures. In the unlikely case of a catastrophic release of 2,000 pounds of chlorine, there is a possibility that an area 1.3 miles downwind of the water treatment plant could be affected. Depending on the winds, this could include a significant portion of the Town of Avon. A catastrophic release of a partially-full chlorine tank would likely effect less than a one-mile radius. But, in both instances the release is likely to be contained in the building. The chlorine storage room at the UERWA Plant is a sealed room containing a chemical-scrubbing unit designed to neutralize up to 2,350 pounds of chlorine gas. All employees are trained in handling large chlorine containers and connecting them to the feed system, which requires at least two people following a standa rdized procedure for safety. Self-contained breathing apparatus are used in this procedure and in the event of a leak it can be quickly contained with these safety considerations by trained operators. Due to the safety measures in place and the containment of chlorine in a specialized storage room, a catastrophic release is improbable. Nevertheless, the threat of a chlorine release is taken very seriously and is planned for in its unlikely event. There has never been an accident involving a large release of chlorine at this facility. Employee involvement in our safety program and training aimed at the proper handling of chlorine are intended to prevent accidental releases of chlorine in the future. |