Precautionary measures were put in place in case of a chlorine leak at the Lucas Point Water Pollution Control Plant in Cobourg on Friday, May 15, 2020.
Manager of Environmental Services Bill Peeples said at approximately 10:20 a.m. an operator was starting up the disinfection system and couldn’t get the valve to shut off.
Because system carries chlorine gas, “worst case scenario it could have snapped off.”
Peeples said expects in the field of hazardous materials in dealing with chlorine were called in from Toronto and Ottawa.
At approximately 6 p.m. with Cobourg firefighters donning breathing apparatus, paramedics on stand-by and Normar Road blocked off for approximately 30-minutes while hazardous material.
Peeples said there was the potential for a few seconds worth of chlorine gas to escape, but the repair went very well – and quick.