Spencer, Mass. residents treated after chemical over-release into water

[Ian David]

SPENCER, Mass. -- Several Spencer residents were taken to the hospital Wednesday morning after an accidental over-release of a chemical into the town water supply caused burning sensations and skin rashes, police said.

Police started receiving calls at about 6:30 a.m. from residents who had showered and reported skin irritation and moderate burns, Sgt. John Agnew said.

A malfunction at the town's drinking water treatment plant released too much sodium hydroxide into the water supply, he said. Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, is routinely put into water to reduce water acidity and limit pipe corrosion, said Ed Coletta, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The town's fire chief declared a mass casualty incident and a few residents were taken to St. Vincent's hospital in Worcester. The Spencer Fire Department took about 40 people to area hospitals who have displayed rashes or other symptoms, said firefighter Ryan Flannery.

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Town Manager Carter Terenzini said that as of 11:30 a.m., about 12 people were undergoing "decontamination" treatment at the hospital. He did not know how those people were exposed to the lye, whether from skin contact in the shower or while shaving, or directly from drinking the water.

More:
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO50275/

[Eugene]

1. Human Error Led to Fouled Mass. Water (AP)

Source: Associated Press

Human Error Led to Fouled Mass. Water

Thursday May 3, 2007 4:46 AM

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) - Human error and a faulty alarm system were to
blame for the release of too much of an anti-corrosion chemical into a town's
water supply last week, state officials said Wednesday.

-snip-

Martin Suuberg, a regional director for the state Department of Environmental
Protection, said a system that dilutes the chemical was switched from automatic
to manual while a leak was being repaired at the water treatment plant.

Two workers failed to switch the system back to automatic, and 34 gallons of
undiluted lye went into the water, Suuberg said. The operators have been
reassigned and temporarily replaced by a contractor.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6604337,00.html