Three people treated at local hospitals after a hazardous chemical incident Wednesday afternoon at the city of Akron’s water plant in Portage County have all been released, according to city of Akron officials.
The Akron Water Plant in Franklin Township was temporarily shut down during the afternoon on Wednesday, June 3 after chlorine gas was released.
The chemical alum mistakenly was added to two tanks of sodium hypochlorite, commonly known as bleach, the city said in an earlier news release. The mixture created a chemical reaction that resulted in the production of chlorine gas.
The plant reopened that evening, but one building remains inaccessible at the plant, according information shared by the city of Akron Thursday morning.
Safety crews are working to dispose of the mixed chemicals in the two affected tanks.
The three injured individuals included two water plant employees and a delivery driver.
The Portage County Hazardous Materials Team had issued a shelter in place order for those within a half a mile of the plant, which was lifted Wednesday evening.
Is Akron’s water safe to drink?
Mayor Shammas Malik stated earlier that “at no time was the water unsafe.”
“We will be conducting after action reviews to determine how to best prevent any future incidents like this,” Malik said.
What is alum?
Alum, or aluminum sulfate, acts as a coagulant and flocculant in drinking water treatment, city of Akron spokesperson Stephanie Marsh said.
“It neutralizes the electrical charges of tiny, suspended particles in muddy or cloudy water, causing them to clump together into larger, heavy masses called ‘floc’ that sink to the bottom,” she said. “The two tanks had bleach in them, which is our primary disinfectant.”
What communities does the Akron Water Plant serve?
The Franklin Township water distribution plant serves Akron, plus water customers in the surrounding communities of Fairlawn, Mogadore, parts of Hudson and Copley, and the Joint Economic Development Districts in Bath, Copley, Coventry and Springfield townships, Marsh said.
“Additionally, Water Distribution serves Coca-Cola in Twinsburg Township, and miscellaneous customers in Boston Township and Cuyahoga Falls. Akron also provides water to Stow, and Tallmadge on a wholesale basis,” Marsh stated in an email to the Beacon Journal.
The Upper Cuyahoga River is the source of Akron’s drinking water, she said.
Scott Moegling, the Akron Water Supply Bureau manager, said the Franklin Township water plant handles the water treatment. Another plant, in Akron’s Merriman Valley, handles wastewater treatment.
“We take our water from Lake Rockwell, which is really the Cuyahoga River far upstream of the city of Akron,” Moegling said. “Our water comes basically from a fairly pristine region of the Cuyahoga River, from LaDue Reservoir, East Branch Reservoir, in Geauga County, way up in the headwaters of the Cuyahoga. And then our direct source is Lake Rockwell, which is four miles north of Kent. So, they’re all interconnected by the Cuyahoga River and its tributaries. Once it gets past our dam here at the water plant, it goes on into Kent.”
Reporter Patrick Williams contributed to this story. Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 3 injured in Akron Water Plant chemical mishap released from hospitals
Reporting by April Helms, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By April Helms, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
