| (11/09/09) - A small equipment failure led to
the spill of a water treatment chemical at Akron’s water supply plant at Lake
Rockwell last evening. Water supplied by the city to its customers was never
affected and is safe to use. Mike McGlinchy,
Akron’s public utilities manager, said that aluminum chlorohyrdate (ACH is an
irritant to eyes and skin) spilled when a pipe that carries it from one tank to another
failed, spilling the contents inside the treatment building.
"We’d like to thank the folks with the Portage
County HazMat squad for their quick response and assistance," said McGlinchy.
"Two of our employees came into contact with the chemical and were taken to the
hospital."
Both employees’ exposure was said to have been minor;
both have been released following treatment at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna.
Shortly before 2 am today, the plant went back on line and
will be slowly ramping back up to normal pumping capacity throughout the morning,
according to the plant manager. While the plant was off line last night, the City used its
storage system.
According to McGlinchy, "The line failure did not
compromise drinking water quality. City water is okay to drink and to use."
ACH is used to aid in removal of particulate matter from
the raw water as part of the overall water treatment process.
A private company is assisting the City in the cleanup.
END |
