Auburn Water Treatment Plant - Executive Summary

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The Auburn Water Treatment Plant is owned and operated by the City of Auburn Water Works Board.  The facility is located at 1385 Binford Drive in Auburn, Alabama.  The parcel is described as being in the northeast 1/4  of Section 5, Township 18 N, Range 26 E.  The subject site consists of approxiamately 13 acres, bounded by residential property to the west, south and east.  The Auburn 7.5  Minute Quadrangle Topographic Map, USGS 1983, shows the elevation at the site to be approxiamately 600 feet above sea level.  The surface water flow is in a southerly direction towards a tributary of Lake Wilmore. 
 
The facility treats water obtained from Lake Ogletree for use a potable water for the City of Auburn, Alabama.  During treatment process the facility utilizes chlorine gas for bacterial control.  The chlorine gas process is isolated to reduce the probability of an incident and the operators are thoroughly trained in the handling of the one ton cylinders containing the chlorine. 
 
A review o 
f the process indicated that the worst case scenario is the release of a one ton cylinder that is being placed into service.  The release would allow gaseous chlorine to migrate off plant site to the south-southeast, along a natural drainage fall-line toward a residential area.  The envelope of exposure will be some 1.1 miles.  The most likely, alternative, scenario is the release of a partially fill cylinder, containing less than 2000 pounds, with the same flow pattern and travelling .42 miles.  In both cases the emergency response involves the activation of the local Emergency Response Program and the potential evacuation of residents. 
 
The site has a prevention program in place that addresses the following program elements:  Hazard Review, Operating Procedures, Training (maintenance, operators and emergency action), Maintenance, Incident Investigation and Compliance Auditing.  These programs are utilized for the entire operation and for the specific chemical, chlorine.  The efforts  
of the site prevention program have proven successful, with no incidents having occured during the past five years.  However, should an incidnet occur, the site has developed an Emergency Response Program that involves the local Public Safety Department (fire and police), the local HAZMAT team and other support agencies. 
 
In the future, the already successful programs will be maintained to assure continued protections of the local population and environment.  Additionally, due to projected growth to the area, consideration is being given to relocation of the facility, at which time (10-20 years), all new technologies will be evaluated to reduce the potential for a release.
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