Hot Springs Village POA Water Plant - Executive Summary |
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HSV POTW is a water treatment plant located at Lake Lago in a sparsely populated area of Hot Springs Village, Saline County, Arkansas. Water from the lake is disinfected using chlorine gas from 2 - one ton cylinders of liquid chlorine connected in tandem. Storage of chlorine on site would be up to two additional one ton cylinders of liquid chlorine. The nearest residential housing is 3/4 mile from the plant with possible future expansion nearer the plant. The worst case release could be from two one ton cylinders connected in tandem and the distance to the toxic endpoint from the model wastewater treatment charts is 1.3 miles. In this radius approximately 85 people live according to the 1990 census. There are no schools, hospitals, other large commercial public places that would be exposed. Controls include 24 hour monitoring by an on site employee, automatic chlorine detection with alarms in the control room, and a separate enclosed room housing the chlorinator. Emergency equipment on site includes a chlorine "B" leak repair kit for ton cylinders, 2 SCBA units and employees who are certified to use them. The local paid fire department provides backup and each firefighter has their own SCBA. Chlorine is heavier than air and will normally go to the low areas of the lake and then across the dam to a remote area. The low areas leading away from the plant are sparsely populated regions. An audible alarm with distinctive tone will be used on site to alert the operator and plans are to install a public siren with distinctive tone. The plant has implemented the OSHA Process Safety Program and followed those procedures toward release prevention. Written operating procedures, a HAZOP, and emergency plans have all been done. The plant is only a few years old and has never had a significant release. HSV follows the EPA "One Plan" model for emergency plans and has written these along those lines. Specific actions on the part of employees are detailed and include medical treatment facilities and rescue from the three local HSV paid Fire Departments. The plan has been coordinated with the local LEPC in Saline County. Future plans include installing the alarm siren for the public and installing water sprinklers to knock down any chlorine gas cloud around the cylinders. |